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NYC to unveil high-tech flood barriers in coastal resiliency preview

By

Giulia Heyward

Published Feb 24, 2025

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A close-up view of the flexible flood barrier system — designed to protect Manhattan’s Two Bridges neighborhood from storm surge and rising sea levels.

 

Courtesy NYC Environmental Protection Press Office

By

Giulia Heyward

Published Feb 24, 2025

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New flood gates that flip up at the “touch of a button” will debut in the city this week.

Local officials are touting the high-tech barriers as a key defense for Manhattan’s Two Bridges neighborhood against a 100‑year coastal storm surge and rising sea levels. City leaders will demonstrate the system on Monday under the FDR Drive at the Manhattan Bridge — near South Street and Pike Slip.

The state-of-the-art technology from the Brooklyn Bridge‑Montgomery Coastal Resiliency project is slated for completion by the end of 2026, according to city officials. The initiative, which uses a combination of flood walls and deployable flip‑up barriers, is one of several measures aimed at protecting the city’s coastline from severe storms — a vulnerability underscored by Superstorm Sandy.

City officials will unveil the BMCR project’s “touch-of-a-button” flood gates under the FDR Drive at the Manhattan Bridge, showcasing the technology behind the $349 million coastal resiliency effort.

Courtesy NYC Environmental Protection Press Office

Critics, however, have routinely questioned the effectiveness of similar coastal projects, raising concerns about potential environmental and social impacts.

As with other coastal resilience efforts, Mayor Eric Adams broke ground on the BMCR project in October 2022 to mark the 10‑year anniversary of Sandy. The BMCR project will feature a 0.82‑mile long flexible flood barrier along the East River, running from the Brooklyn Bridge north to Montgomery Street, the city Department of Environmental Protection said.

It will then connect with the similarly designed East Side Coastal Resiliency project to form a combined 3.22‑mile flood protection system extending to Asser Levy Playground on East 25th Street.

The $349 million investment includes a series of 97 deployable flood gates that flip up at the touch of a button, protecting Manhattan’s waterfront.

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new york city

environment

brooklyn

Giulia Heyward

Giulia Heyward is a breaking news reporter on the Day-Of desk. She previously worked at NPR, as a breaking news reporter, and the New York Times, as a reporting fellow on the national desk. Her work has also appeared in CNN, The Atlantic and Politico. Got a tip? Email [email protected] or more securely on signal at 917-715-1458.

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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations

Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations

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