OWNER: New Jersey Transit, Newark, NJ
FACILITIES/RR OWNER: Amtrak, NYC
DESIGN ENGINEER: Jacobs Civil Inc., Edison, NJ
ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR: Eldor Contracting Corp., Holbrook, NY
PLUMBING CONTRACTOR: Taggart Associates, Long Island City, NY
HVAC CONTRACTOR: FW Sims Inc., West Babylon, NY
MARBLE CONTRACTOR: Port Morris Tile & Marble Corp., Bronx, NY
ORNAMENTAL IRON WORK CONTRACTOR: FMB Inc., Harrison, NJ
DECK CONTRACTOR: Gottlieb Skanska Inc., Valley Stream, NY
MINI-PILE CONTRACTOR: Urban Foundation/Engineering, Elmhurst, NY
GENERAL CONTRACTOR: Yonkers Contracting Co. Inc., Yonkers, NY
CONSTRUCTION MANAGER: O'Brien Kreitzberg, NYC

The new $115 million East End Concourse for New Jersey Transit (NJTransit) is making life easier for the thousands of commuters who pass through New York's Penn Station each day. The concourse links 8th Avenue to 7th Avenue below Penn Station and features ticket windows, destination signage and retail space.

But the project itself was not easy. It involved the creation of 55,000-sq.-ft. of space within two other structures. Some team members called it "a station within a station."

The East End Concourse consisted of three different design contracts: a temporary construction deck contract, an asbestos abatement contract and the final East End Concourse contract. The multiple contracts were issued as a means of facilitating the construction.

The entire project actually consisted of the demolition and reconstruction of 55,000 sq. ft. of space in the southeast corner of Penn Station (Seventh Avenue and West 31st Street). The reconstruction involved the creation of a new station for NJTransit within Penn Station.

One of the team's most difficult tasks was working within two existing structures. These included the current Penn Station structure that was built in 1906 and the 2 Penn Plaza building built above it in 1964. In addition, the team had to devise a way to provide to provide vertical access off the platforms within this maze of other structures. All of the work was done up to 50 ft. below the street. As such, access to the project and for getting materials in and out proved daunting.

To get materials in and out of the underground jobsite, a hole was made though a street planter that fronts Penn Station parallel to West 31st Street. To do this, an easement agreement was entered into with Vornardo, the property owner. The hole was 9-ft. wide by 16-ft. long, according to various development team members.

This "entrance" allowed the movement of more than 900 pieces of steel totaling 300 tons - some pieces up to 30 ft. long - into the construction site. A 35-ft. high cherry picker was used to lower each piece of steel into the hole. Underground, rigging, chain hoists and trolley systems were used to move the steel about.

In order to build above the existing platforms and live tracks used by NJTransit and Amtrak, a temporary, 40,000-sq.-ft. wooden deck was built and used to build the rest of the project.

In addition, new foundations were constructed at the track level while minimizing disruption to commuters and train traffic. This was done by erecting barricades on the platforms and then staging the construction so the platforms could remain operational

Demolition and construction not only required phasing the work, but having to shut down two tracks at a time, usually from 11 p.m. to 4 a.m., Monday through Friday.

The schedule, however, had to be constantly revised. Utilities inhibited a smooth and continuous workflow. In fact, there were so many utility lines that had to be identified, tagged and relocated that one team member said "it was like spaghetti down there."

The team also had to find ways to perform the necessary work without having to have tracks taken out of service. The solution, developed by the mini-pile subcontractor, consisted of customized drill rigs to install the mini-pile foundations without having to have a track taken out of service.

In addition, Amtrak personnel had to be moved around during construction of a water meter room in the same location as an electrical substation.

To move Amtrak personnel around, swing space was constructed each time personnel had to be relocated. The water meter room had to be constructed in a space that houses an electrical substation. To accomplish and maintain the electrical substation, a workaround was designed.

The jury said, "This project team faced a different level of complexity (than the Times Square Station complex) by working in an area that was not intended for its intended use. The project also accommodated the shift of passenger traffic to PATH North after Sept. 11, 2001, and the project team accomplished everything one-year ahead of schedule."