It’s the Great White Mess.
The city ripped up the streets as part of a massive, $40 million redesign of Times Square, and now the city is scrambling to make it presentable for New Year’s Eve.
The Times Square Alliance — which coordinates the world-famous celebration and is working with local businesses and the city Department of Transportation — acknowledged delays Saturday.
“The asphalt on the 43rd and 44th street blocks is in preparation for New Year’s Eve. It’s a temporary fix,” an Alliance source told The Post. “It’ll remain in place there until the Super Bowl, and construction will continue next spring.”
The source noted that pavers — giant blocks fitted with lights — will eventually replace the blacktop, which construction crews have already been laying down, but that only half of the pavers are ready at this point.
The construction work currently taking place at the Crossroads of the World has shopkeepers fuming. “It’s definitely affecting foot traffic and sales,” said Ramy Guzman, a manager at Naturalizer, a women’s shoe store.
“We just can’t wait until it’s over because it’s taking so long, it’s a headache. Around this time of the year, with all the tourists shopping, they should have been done by now.”
Naturalizer is mainly affected by a fenced-in area holding construction equipment. “The tractor blocks the view of our store and gives the impression that construction is going on here,” she said.
A manager at H&M on 42nd Street and Broadway said the work is also hurting their business.
“That entrance is closed because of it,” the manager said. “People kept getting stuck in front of our store. The path was really narrow, so they couldn’t move anywhere.”
Tourists and shoppers also aren’t happy.
“Why is this whole area closed off?” asked disgruntled shopper Carlos Estrella, 39, of Connecticut. “It’s very annoying. There’s thousands of people here shopping. It’s just bad timing.”
But not everyone was complaining.
“The whole thing is supposed to be finished, but we don’t have enough time,” said a hard hat working in front of Sephora. “This whole project cost a lot of money and is taking longer than expected — but that’s good for me. Everybody needs work.”
The project will make pedestrian walkways permanent in much of Times Square. It includes the repaving of both Broadway and Seventh Avenue with concrete embedded with a mosaic design. New lamps, benches and electrical outlets are also part of the plan.
Construction is scheduled to cease between Dec. 27 and Jan. 1 for New Year’s. The entire job is scheduled to end in 2015.