Ocean Parkway fully reopens after damage from rainstorm

Ocean Parkway, damaged in last week's unprecedented rainfall, has been fully reopened following the restoration of two damaged pedestrian underpasses, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo's office said.

This means that, after the rainfall led to lane closures on nine major state highways on the Island, all were reopened as of Wednesday, Cuomo's office said in a news release Thursday.

Both Ocean and the Meadowbrook parkways "sustained heavy damage," officials said, with two Meadowbrook bridges being repaired and reopened on Saturday.

Paving repairs on an Ocean Parkway pedestrian underpass at Tobay Beach that had been "partially undermined" were finished late Wednesday, allowing the highway to be fully reopened, the release said.

Lanes near a second underpass near the Tobay Beach watch tower were reopened last Friday. That underpass had been filled with sand and water, resulting in slope erosion and damage to guardrails, the release said.

The parkway sustained extensive damage during superstorm Sandy, with the ocean washing over the parkway in several places, requiring $33 million to repair 5 miles of dune and a 2-mile stretch of road.

The other seven state highways were restored to full use Aug. 13, the day of the storm.

In the release, the governor commended state Department of Transportation employees "who worked tirelessly to get all roads and bridges reopened after last week's severe weather."