With clearer roads during pandemic, Nassau paves 172 lane miles

With Nassau roadways largely clear because of the COVID-19 pandemic, county contractors completed 172 lane miles of road resurfacing, its second highest number in a decade, and surpassing its goal of 150 miles, County Executive Laura Curran said Thursday.

Despite a multimillion deficit caused by coronavirus shutdown, the county — which is responsible for 1,500 lane miles of roads — utilized $33 million from its capital plan to fund the resurfacing contracts, Curran said at a news conference in Freeport marking the final day of the county's paving season.

"People always ask, whether you're a Republican or a Democrat and whatever else is going on in the world, 'what are you doing about the roads,'" Curran said as crews repaved Merrick Road behind her. "It's the one thing that people really focus on when they think about local government."

Major roadway projects in 2020 included three sections of Old Country Road in Garden City, Mineola, Carle Place and Plainview; three parts of the Long Island Expressway North Service Road in Roslyn Heights, North Hills and Lake Success and two areas of Merrick Road in Merrick and Freeport, Curran said. Contractors also repaved Peninsula Boulevard in Lynbrook, Community Drive in Manhasset, Nassau Road in Roosevelt and Lakeville Road in New Hyde Park, she said.

Crews from Nassau's Department of Public Works also performed $600,000 in immediate and critical repairs to county roads, and filled 90,000 potholes, Curran said.

"It's quality of life for the residents," said Freeport Mayor Robert Kennedy. "Residents are concerned about security. They are concerned about sanitation. And they are concerned about roads."

Last year, the county broke a record, paving 207 miles of roadway — triple the amount it resurfaced in 2017.

In 2021, the county has budgeted $35 million from its capital plan for five resurfacing contracts to restore another 150 lane miles.

Among the major rehabilitation projects planned next year, which include resurfacing, drainage and traffic safety, are Manorhaven Boulevard in Manorhaven; Austin Boulevard in Island Park; Grand Avenue in Baldwin and the intersection of Ocean Avenue and Merrick Road in Lynbrook, officials said.

Crumbling roadways, Curran said, are not only dangerous for vehicles and drivers but slow down commerce. She added it makes it difficult for employees to get to work and helps keep vacant storefronts empty.

"Having a good roadway system is really good for our economic health," she said. "It helps us with our economic recovery from the pandemic."

Meanwhile, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo announced Thursday the completion of $33.4 million in road resurfacing projects across Long Island, including seven miles of the Northern State Parkway between the city boundary and the Meadowbrook State Parkway, and 36 entrance and exit ramps to the parkway.

The state also refurbished an additional 8 ½ miles of state roads, including: Hillside Avenue from the Northern State Parkway to Jericho Turnpike in North Hempstead; Route 110 from Depot Road to Henry Street in Huntington; and Sunrise Highway from Horseblock Road to William Floyd Parkway in Brookhaven. The projects included road resurfacing, new reflective lane markings, shoulder delineators and guiderail reflectors, officials said.

By Robert Brodsky

robert.brodsky@newsday.com@BrodskyRobert

Robert Brodsky is a breaking news reporter who has worked at Newsday since 2011. He is a Queens College and American University alum.