HAER Report

The Broad Street Viaduct

One of the primary concerns after the war ended was resuming construction on the Broad Street Viaduct. Contract issues between the Crownbar Construction Company and the BPC, Mount Vernon, and Yonkers had not been solved. The contractor served notice that it was quitting the contract because payments had not been made as scheduled. Downer retorted that the contractor had "unnecessarily and unreasonably delayed" the project. During numerous meetings in early 1919, the BPC conferred with Mount Vernon and Yonkers officials to develop a strategy for getting the viaduct completed during the current construction season. BPC officials emphasized that the work needed to start before the incomplete structure disintegrated. The BPC notified the contractor that it was considering contracting elsewhere for the completion of the viaduct and threatened to take possession of materials and equipment related to the work and do whatever necessary to get the work completed, with the contractor being charged for any related losses. The BPC also notified the Globe Indemnity Company to fulfill its obligations as the bonder for the contractor. After receiving no response from the contractor or its bonding company by August, the BPC and city officials resolved to take over the completion of the work and charge expenses to the contractor and bonding company. Bids were opened in May 1920, but no contractor bid on the project. In August, Vroman, the designing engineer for the Broad Street Viaduct, assured Downer that if the job was readvertised, he knew of several contractors were ready to compete for the job. The contract was soon advertised and Downer reported that, although bids were higher than the original contract, the new prices were not excessive. He recommended accepting the lowest bid that would enable them to restart the project before the viaduct deteriorated. The BPC approved his recommendation and the contract for completion was awarded to Louis J. Sieling of New York City for $121,860.37. The Broad Street Viaduct was completed on September 14, 1921.(202)

Further Delays

The Bronx Parkway commissioners, engineers, and landscaping staff continued planning during the period that funds were in short supply. Many of the bridge designs were already well underway and by 1921 the BPC was quickening its pace on reviewing and approving plans. Downer reviewed bids and made recommendations for awarding contracts. In 1921, the BPC used its surplus war equipment to increase construction activities over the preceding year. The BPC expected to be ready to resume construction at the beginning of 1922 and planned to complete all grading, bridge construction, and a substantial amount of the road paving. If the BPC accomplished its objectives, only two sections of drive would remain to be paved during 1923 and the commission would have met the deadline it established for itself in 1919. The BRPR was not completed in 1923, however, because the New York City Board of Estimate and Apportionment (NYC-BEA) refused to appropriate funding. Construction projects were cut back once again as the BPC was forced to operate using only Westchester County’s funding and unexpended allotments from the previous year.(203) Despite this slowdown, the BPC accomplished a substantial amount of work by the end of 1922.

Resuming Construction

The Broad Street Viaduct

Further Delays