In 2002, with the "primary cleanup" of ground zero barely over, the city quickly built and paved a service road connecting the World Trade Center site to West Street. Only gradually, and without much help from the media, it is becoming clear exactly how massive a screwup it was. Since Mayor Bloomberg reordered the search for human remains last October, medical examiners freed 445 "potential" body parts from beneath the road. Finally, after months and months of new grisly discoveries, the city is facing the obvious: A new, large-scale excavation is in order.

A new memo from Deputy Mayor Ed Skyler advises the mayor that workers will need to close parts of West Street for better access to the dig. The objective is to unearth four old WTC access ramps buried under the service road; this will take about a month. And with that, once more, a giant, neat construction site reverts to a multitiered cemetery. Is this the last time? Depends on whether the workers get to do their job properly. After all, blocked-off West Street sounds just a touch inconvenient, no?

Search for Remains Will Close Parts of West Street [NYT]

Earlier:
Bloomie Promises a Thorough Search, Again
Seek and Ye Just Might Find