The Thurston Street railroad crossing, next to the spiffy new intersection with Water Avenue, has been rebuilt and reopened.
After a few days away, the bike and I returned to my Albany riverside beat on Monday and found that much had changed since the week before.
As the top photo illustrates, the Thurston Street railroad crossing has been fully restored and reopened to traffic. That’s the vehicle access to the parking lot behind the Deluxe Brewing Co.
The intersection there was rebuilt first, and reopening the business access required raising the track to meet the level of the new pavement.
Then, the area alongside the Water Avenue track has been pretty much torn up for work on the rails, ties and ballast. At Mongomery Street, the plan calls for a new pedestrian rail crossing, but there’s no sign of it yet.
And where Baker Street meets Water, the pedestrian rail crossing has been obliterated. It won’t be replaced, but there will be new crossings in both directions one block away.
On Monday men and heavy equipment were working all along the avenue and the track. Some worked on the rail line, and others on the road improvements called for in Albany’s $21.5 million Waterfront Project.
If you want to watch the work going on, you can easily do so from the Dave Clark Path, which remains open while three blocks of Water Avenue, from Baker to Jackson, are closed to traffic.
I’m there often on the bike, and since this blog is largely about what I see, you might expect more progress reports on the work in the weeks to come. (hh)
Here, where Montgomery Street meets Water Avenue, a new pedestrian crossing will be built.
And this is where the Baker Street crossing from Water Avenue to the Dave Clark has been dismantled.
OMG!!!! The contractor’s are getting the job done! What a horror for the people of Albany????
Your reporting is flawless as usual and very descriptive. As I and most readers, however, have never been there, perhaps you could inform us about the expensive railroad track and its importance to the city. Is it on a schedule? I did try to use internet information but I didn’t want to know about Genessee etc. Just a thought.
So Deluxe Brewing Co. has a lovely, expensive, brick expanse in front of it!! What in the hell for? Tell us, Hasso. What benefit does that bring to the taxpayers of Albany? Yes, you have done a lovely job of photographing it and saying it is there. But, why?
Is it just awaiting some expensive shops, restaurants, etc. that no one but the rich can afford? If you enter Water St. from the end of Washington Street (near Senior Center), you still have to pass Lepman’s downtrodden warehouse with the broken windows. In fact, people won’t be able to miss that when they go to the Monteith Park to see a few concerts during a couple of months of the year.
Mr. Cap B, the senior center was the most pleasant place to visit with the kindest of people. Somethings can never be replaced but maybe the senior center can make a come back somewhere in another part of town. One thing about us poor folk, we can make the best out of life with what little we do have. That is one thing no one can take away from us.
Chris j – Well put.