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It's a vista that borders on the surreal: Giant concrete mushrooms line the median of the Van Wyck Expressway in New York City's borough of Queens and offer motorists, often at a standstill, a glimpse of a long-dreamed vision turning into reality. The clusters of 120-ft-tall columns will support a light rail transit link between Manhattan and John F. Kennedy Airport. The 8.4-mile project combines the biggest scope in both precast concrete segmental work and design-build-operate-maintain contracting ever in New York City.
Dubbed AirTrain, the $1.9-billion light rail project is snaking forward on time and on budget over the congested expressway and the organized chaos of billion-dollar work being done on-site at JFK. The owner, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, expects the link to provide an 8-minute connection between airport terminals and a guaranteed 45-minute commute via two hub subway stations that travel directly into Manhattan.
Some critics lambaste the current alignment for its lack of a one-seat ride, but port authority officials contend that the connection to Jamaica and Howard Beach subway stations will be seamless. ``Everyone in New York City [subways] changes trains,'' says Anthony Cracchiolo, agency director for the Airtrain project. He adds that the capability for a one-seat ride exists, when New York City's other commuter rail tunnels and stations undergo expansions.
TOUGH BIRTH Obstacles have always hindered the idea of a light-rail system to a New York City airport. ``It's a point of view that's been thought about ever since JFK was Idlewild Airport,'' says Michael Cuddy, project manager for Parsons Brinckerhoff, New York City, design consultant to the port authority. ``It's always been something New York should've had.''
Plans have existed for 30 years, during which 22 studies were made, some to the preliminary engineering stage. ``All were killed for various reasons,'' says Cracchiolo. Funding and community issues finally gave way to the realization that the Van Wyck, the main artery into Kennedy, was choked beyond limits. Agency officials note that executives relocating from the city cited poor access as the second-biggest reason for leaving.
The authority decided on a plan that would maximize current rights of way and connections to existing transit systems. New York Gov. George Pataki (R) gave approval to the...