The East River Esplanade is getting an overdue repair, much to the relief of East Harlem residents. NY1's Susan Jhun filed this report.
This patched up part of the East River esplanade is where a large sinkhole was sucking up a huge portion of the path when concerned residents reached out to NY1 back in May.
"It's pretty dangerous, especially if you're a nighttime runner," said Byron Cordero, a runner.
"Fact of the matter is, the infrastructure of this area seems to be crumbling, literally underneath us," said Clark Pena, El Barrio Unite.
At the time, a Parks Department spokesman said a contract was awarded to address the issue. He also said the agency expected the sinkhole to be repaired by the end of June. After our first story aired, Parks increased safety measures, adding extra barricades and a designated walkway for runners and cyclists.
"They got this nice asphalt path that goes around," said Christian Cheuque, another runner. "Before you had to go through the bushes and get scratched."
Now almost a month after Parks said the work would be completed, the path is still blocked. We contacted Parks again and a spokesman said the sinkhole work is complete with the exception of the pavers, which are the final element. He went on to say there was a delay due to concerns including weather and the delivery of materials, but they're on track to start installation of the pavers as soon as this weekend.
Fingers crossed the path will soon be cleared.
We'll keep you updated.