Changes in store for the Coney Island Boardwalk

The 2.7-mile Coney Island Boardwalk has been the topic of songs and movies, and a favorite tourist location known for its amusement parks and rides.

Coney Island (credit: Wikipedia)

Nevertheless, big changes are in store for this American iconic symbol, officially known as Riegelmann Boardwalk, which has become a hot topic in news and the blogosphere.

Since its grand opening in 1923, the boardwalk has undergone frequent repairs and numerous reconstructions. Issues range from loose or dilapidated boards in need of replacement to popped-up nails and gaping holes, as reported by the New York Daily News.

Bypassing the numerous repairs, New York City Parks and Recreation has opted to use concrete to strengthen and stabilize the boardwalk.

Work has already begun, demolishing damaged portions of the wooden boardwalk, which will be replaced with colored and textured pre-cast concrete slabs.

The texture on the concrete will mimic actual wood timbers, providing aesthetic appeal and preserving the historical significance of the walk.

The $13.7 million project, two-year construction contract was awarded to T.B. Penick & Sons, Inc., and through APC Precast, Scott System is on the job, using their urethane form liner molds to create wood-textured concrete planks.

RTD FasTracks Western Corridor Connects Local Communities

Regional Transportation District (RTD) buses feature the FasTracks Western cooridor project.

The multi-billion dollar RTD FasTracks project is plowing through Colorado creating jobs, boosting the economy and creating sustainable transportation options for commuters.

With a light rail route running south from its hub at Union Station in downtown Denver to Littleton already built, the project is now heading west to the Jefferson County Government Center in Golden, Colo.

Behind the Scenes

MSE panels featuring concrete textures piece together to form a retaining wall.

Currently the 12.1 mile Western Corridor is in the construction process, and upon completion will offer 122 miles of new train service, 18 miles of bus rapid transit service and will bring to life Denver’s Historic Union Station.

The Western Corridor retaining wall is built with MSE (mechanically stabilized earth) paneled walls featuring hand-sculpted art and concrete textures.

In fact, the grass tuft graphic was hand-sculpted by Scott System’s own Sead Telalovic. Originally, Sead created the art using a clay medium, which was then transposed with heavy rubber urethane to create a form liner that would serve as the concrete mold.

The aesthetics of the project will be enjoyed by many commuters, especially with the Denver metropolitan region estimated to reach a whopping 3.39 million in 2025. If the 2008 numbers are any indication (RTD carried more than 102 million riders, and the rail system carried more than 60,000 riders every weekday), the future looks very busy.

Architect credit: Perry Palmer, David Evans and Associates, Inc.