Cuomo: Almost $15 million set aside for Long Island road improvements
Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo on Monday. Credit: Charles Eckert
The state will set aside $14.7 million for three projects that will upgrade safety on 10 roads in Nassau and Suffolk counties, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo said Tuesday.
Almost half the funding will go for pavement repairs on Route 106, also known as Newbridge Road, in the towns of Hempstead and Oyster Bay, according to a news release from the governor's office. Other projects include sign and guardrail replacement on roads in Suffolk County.
“These safety enhancements will transform Long Island’s state roads, ensuring a safer, more efficient commute for thousands of drivers,” Cuomo said in the release.
On Route 106, lane shifts will be used to keep the road open until the summer of 2020, when the project is expected to end. The repairs should smooth out bumps and irregularities, and the pavement should last longer as well, according to the governor's office.
Twenty overhead signs will also be replaced on several Suffolk roads, costing $5.2 million. Specifically, that project will impact Sunrise Highway, Great Neck Road, Jerome Avenue, Nicolls Road, Route 110 and Route 231, according to the statement.
Work will take place at night or behind concrete barriers to minimize disruptions. The new signs, which will be “highly reflective” so drivers can see them at night and in bad weather, are scheduled to be up by the spring of 2021.
Guardrail replacements will be made along the Southern State Parkway in the towns of Babylon and Islip. Northern State Parkway in Smithtown will undergo the same treatment. The replacement will include end terminals that can absorb vehicle impact. That will cost a total of $2.7 million.
Previously, a $4.6 million guardrail project ended last winter along the Southern State in Hempstead, Oyster Bay and Babylon.
The governor’s office urged drivers to “slow down and safely move over” when approaching a work zone. Fines are doubled in work zones, and two or more speeding violations in work zones will result in a suspended driver’s license.
'I don't know what the big brouhaha is all about' Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman plan to deputize gun-owning county residents is progressing, with some having completed training. Opponents call the plan "flagrantly illegal." NewsdayTV's Virginia Huie reports.
'I don't know what the big brouhaha is all about' Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman plan to deputize gun-owning county residents is progressing, with some having completed training. Opponents call the plan "flagrantly illegal." NewsdayTV's Virginia Huie reports.
