LIRR plans to complete Westbury bridge project this weekend
A rendering of the new overpass at Urban Avenue in Westbury with three train tracks, a two-lane underpass for vehicle traffic and a pedestrian sidewalk. Credit: Long Island Rail Road
Motorists will be closer to driving under the LIRR’s tracks in Westbury after the railroad completes a bridge installation project there this weekend.
The Long Island Rail Road is set to install a new, pre-assembled bridge at Urban Avenue, replacing the grade crossing that previously existed at the intersection for decades until it was closed March 8.
The railroad is suspending train service between Mineola and Hicksville from 11 p.m. Friday through 5 a.m. Monday.
To help serve affected customers, the LIRR is adding express trains between Babylon and New York City. Trains on branches throughout the LIRR system also will see their schedules affected by the work. The LIRR has published special timetables for the project on its website and mobile apps.
The elimination of the Urban Avenue grade crossing is part of the LIRR’s $2.6 billion effort to build a third track between Floral Park and Hicksville. A newly excavated roadway underpass beneath to the new bridge is expected to open in the fall.
Alfonso Castillo has been reporting for Newsday since 1999 and covering the transportation beat since 2008. He grew up in the Bronx and Queens and now lives in Valley Stream with his wife and two sons.
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