Governor Kathy Hochul has provided an update on the rehabilitation and replacement of several Long Island bridges as part of a $48.5 million investment to enhance safety and improve travel conditions along key roadways.
The projects include:
- Construction of a new $22.9 million overpass carrying Hospital Road over Sunrise Highway in the Town of Brookhaven, Suffolk County;
- Concrete bridge deck renewals on nine bridges across Nassau and Suffolk Counties, totaling $25.6 million.
“New York continues to make critical investments toward transforming and modernizing our state’s infrastructure,” Governor Hochul said. “These bridges are vital links connecting people and businesses across Long Island, and our work will provide an improved travel experience and easier commute for decades to come.”
New York State Department of Transportation Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez said, “Governor Hochul understands that infrastructure is the underlying fabric that ties our communities together and under her leadership New York State is making historic investments that will not only rebuild our transportation network but build it back better and stronger. These projects on Long Island will benefit tens of thousands of motorists who use these bridges every day and will help ensure that users of the road can get where they need to go safely and efficiently.”
Oyster Bay Town Supervisor Joseph Saladino said, “Infrastructure improvements on Long Island bridges and roadways are critically needed to address congestion and our growing population. We welcome Governor Hochul’s investment in these important projects.”
Huntington Town Supervisor Ed Smyth said, “I have said repeatedly that the main issue in the Town of Huntington and across Long Island is infrastructure. Our roads and bridges are our communities’ lifeline to jobs, education and leisure and yet were never designed to handle the volume they are experiencing now. Residents are entitled to travel our roads and know they are safe. The Town of Huntington is grateful to Governor Hochul for securing funds to ensure the LIE overpasses and our Long Island roadways are structurally sound and are safe for travelers.”
Hempstead Town Deputy Supervisor Dorothy Goosby said, “Thank you, Governor Hochul, for your investment in roads and infrastructure on Long Island. The residents of the Town of Hempstead will benefit from these much-needed improvements to our roads to tackle congestion.”
Hospital Road Overpass
Construction of the new Hospital Road overpass over Sunrise Highway (State Route 27), which began last year, continued during the mild winter, and is now approximately halfway complete. Workers are replacing the existing structure, which was built in 1959, with a modern, wider crossing. The first completed span of the new structure opened in mid-April.
The new bridge will feature a striped median, sidewalks in each direction, and 12-foot-wide shoulders to accommodate bicycle and pedestrian traffic. More than 12,000 vehicles travel the overpass each day.
Turning lanes to the service roads will also be added at each end of the bridge plaza and the reconstructed intersections will feature enhanced traffic signals with pedestrian countdown timers.
Traffic in both directions of the bridge has remained open during construction with minimal interruptions to both roads. The project, which is expected to be completed by the end of this year, is a joint venture between the Town of Brookhaven, which designed the overpass, and the State Department of Transportation, which is overseeing its construction. The project team has been coordinating with nearby Long Island Community Hospital to accommodate its needs and not disrupt operations.
Bridge Deck Renewals and Repairs
A significant endeavor to replace concrete bridge decks began last spring, in an effort to renew the riding surfaces of nine Long Island bridges. With work completed at three of those sites last year, rehabilitation is beginning now at five bridges on the Long Island Expressway (Interstate 495) in Suffolk County.
The concrete deck resurfacing projects that were completed in 2022 in Nassau County include:
- L.I.E. over Locust Lane, Village of East Hills;
- Express Drive South over Washington Avenue, Town of Oyster Bay;
- Stewart Avenue ramp to southbound Meadowbrook State Parkway, Town of Hempstead.
The five bridges on the Long Island Expressway where work is now beginning in Suffolk County include:
- L.I.E. over Blue Point Road (eastbound span), Town of Brookhaven;
- L.I.E. over Blue Point Road (westbound span), Town of Brookhaven;
- L.I.E. over Holbrook Road (westbound span only), Town of Brookhaven;
- L.I.E. over Round Swamp Road (eastbound span), Town of Huntington;
- L.I.E. over Round Swamp Road (westbound span), Town of Huntington.
These locations are expected to be completed by the end of this year.
Additionally, a concrete deck renewal project, which began last spring, at Hubbards Path over Sunrise Highway in the Town of Babylon, Suffolk County was able to continue through the mild winter months and is now more than halfway complete. This project is scheduled for completion in late summer 2023.
Construction at these locations is taking place primarily behind barriers to avoid major disruptions to the traveling public. Motorists are reminded to stay alert when driving, read work zone signs carefully, and use extra caution when workers are present.
Motorists are urged to plan accordingly and drive responsibly in work zones. Fines are doubled for speeding in a work zone. Convictions of two or more speeding violations in a work zone could result in the suspension of an individual’s driver license.
For up-to-date travel information, call 511, visit www.511NY.org or download the free 511NY mobile app.
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