Infrastructure Around Ground Zero Faces Daunting Overhaul

Although Con Edison has laid 36 miles of high-voltage cable, and Verizon has restored telephone service to thousands of New Yorkers, these are only temporary fixes for the massive damage caused by the events of September 11.

By Staff January 3, 2002

Although Con Edison has laid 36 miles of high-voltage cable, and Verizon has restored telephone service to thousands of New Yorkers, these are only temporary fixes for the massive damage caused by the events of September 11.

At this juncture, the city of New York faces the overwhelming task of rebuilding the infrastructure, including more than 300,000 severed phones and close to six miles of broken water mains. All together, the total tab is estimated to exceed $2.3 billion, reports the New York Daily News .

In addition to coordinating the redesign and rebuilding of the infrastructure systems, the massive project will require digging up 24 streets in the downtown area.