MTA changes plan to use North Hempstead park as staging area for Webster Avenue bridge construction
Work continues to replace the Webster Avenue bridge. Credit: Morgan Campbell
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority has walked back plans to use Plandome Pond Park as a staging area for its $23 million replacement of the 126-year-old Webster Avenue bridge.
The MTA did not disclose its new staging area, but it will not be on Town of North Hempstead property, a town official said.
The bridge passed over the tracks about a half mile northeast of the LIRR station in Manhasset. Construction on the project began in December, and by early this month, the old bridge had been demolished, according to MTA spokesperson Dave Steckel.
“While the bridge reconstruction is a vital project for Long Island straphangers, we’re pleased the MTA was able to find an alternative site that was suitable for staging their equipment,” town spokesperson Umberto Mignardi said in a statement.
Plandome Pond Park, nestled between Pinewood Road, Webster Avenue and Brookwold Drive, is 5 acres of green space with benches and walking paths in addition to a pond. It’s a popular destination, and using it as a staging area would have limited its accessibility for residents.
The MTA had planned to use the park as a staging area as of late last month, a town official said.
The bridge was one of 10 on Long Island to be designated as being in “poor condition,” according to data from the state Department of Transportation. Built before the turn of the last century, it posted a weight limit of 3 tons, but larger vehicles regularly passed over it, Steckel said.
“It’s long overdue and necessary from a safety and community standpoint,” David Adhami, the Republican councilmember representing the Fifth District, said in a statement.
The construction of the bridge might result in cutting down some mature trees on the public right of way, a town official said. The MTA will replant trees if necessary, Steckel said.
The new bridge is scheduled to open in the fall, Steckel said.
Joshua Needelman covers the Town of North Hempstead for Newsday. A Long Island native and University of Maryland graduate, his work has appeared in publications including The New York Times and The Washington Post.
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