Riverside Park Bike Path Section To Close For 5 Weeks

UPPER WEST SIDE, NY — Cyclists will be diverted off one of the most popular bike paths in the city for five weeks starting Monday, March 25 to accommodate construction work, according to a city Department of Transportation notice.

A portion of the Hudson River Greenway will be shut down near the West 72nd Street dog run, forcing cyclists to stick to the bike path that runs directly along the river. Only a small portion of the bike path will close, but the closure should result in increased traffic along the detour — which is already a popular route shared by cyclists and pedestrians alike.

The closure is related to work being done to rehabilitate the Henry Hudson Parkway between West 72nd and 82nd streets, which is located almost directly above the portion of bike path that will be shut down.

The city Department of Transportation has been working to repair the viaduct, including replacing its steel structure and repairing retaining walls, since 2013. The project has cost the city $101 million as of August 2018, according to the city's capital project website. Work on the viaduct should be complete in August 2020, the DOT construction notice said.

The project's original estimated budget was $38M and original completion date was 2017, according to the city's capital projects website.