From shaky foundation to solid ground. That’s the drastic change to the East River esplanade, where a large sinkhole is under repair after a community advocate reached out to NY1 For You.
"It's huge," says Clark Pena of El Barrio Unite.
"It's pretty dangerous, especially if you're a nighttime runner," says Byron Cordero, a runner.
Last month, pedestrians and cyclists expressed concerns and tried avoiding the dangerous sinkhole on this well traveled path near 119th Street and the East River.
"In the nighttime, anyone could go past these barricades, a child, and they could fall in this deep hole," says Pena. "The fact of the matter is, the infrastructure of this area seems to be crumbling, literally underneath us."
Now, the construction site has increased safety measures like extra barricades and a designated walkway for runners and cyclists.
"They got this nice asphalt path that goes around," says Christian Cheuque, a runner. "Before you had to go through the bushes and get scratched and everything."
When NY1 originally contacted the Parks Department about the hole on its property, a spokesman said a contract was awarded to address this issue and others along the esplanade. He also said the agency expected the sinkhole to be repaired by the end of June.
NY1 For You will continue to follow this story.