Long-Awaited Tibbetts Brook Daylighting Project Set to Begin in the Bronx
One of the Bronx's most ambitious environmental and infrastructure projects is moving forward, with construction expected to begin this fall on the long-planned Tibbetts Brook Daylighting Project.
The New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) recently announced two major milestones that clear the way for construction. The agency has awarded a $149.5 million construction contract and secured a critical easement agreement with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), allowing the project to proceed as designed.
The project will restore more than a mile of Tibbetts Brook to the surface after the waterway spent more than a century flowing underground through New York City's sewer system. Historically, the brook flowed from Yonkers through the Bronx and into the Harlem River before being buried and diverted into sewers in the early 1900s.
By bringing the brook back above ground, the city expects to significantly improve environmental conditions while addressing long-standing infrastructure challenges. DEP estimates the project will reduce combined sewer overflows into the Harlem River by more than 215 million gallons annually, helping improve water quality while freeing capacity within the Bronx sewer system during heavy rain events.
The project is also expected to provide meaningful flood mitigation benefits for surrounding neighborhoods. By removing millions of gallons of clean brook water from the combined sewer system each day, the city can reduce pressure on aging infrastructure and better manage stormwater during increasingly frequent severe weather events.
Beyond its environmental benefits, the project will create new public open space and recreational opportunities. Plans include extending the Harlem River-Putnam Greenway by more than a mile, creating a continuous green corridor for pedestrians and cyclists while reconnecting residents to a natural resource that has been hidden underground for generations.
Local environmental advocates have championed the daylighting effort for decades. The project has been viewed as a model for climate resilience, ecological restoration, and sustainable urban planning, transforming a former rail corridor into a naturalized stream and greenway that will serve future generations.
As communities throughout the region continue to focus on resiliency, flood prevention, and quality-of-life improvements, the Tibbetts Brook Daylighting Project represents a significant public investment in the Bronx's environmental and infrastructure future.
Construction is anticipated to begin in Fall 2026.
