Parts of the Northern State and Meadowbrook State Parkways have been resurfaced as part of road renovation projects totaling $33.4 million, the office of Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Thursday.
As part of these projects, pavement was refurbished along seven miles of the Northern State Parkway between the New York City boundary and the Meadowbrook State Parkway, in addition to 36 entrance and exit ramps on the parkway.
“Modernizing and strengthening New York’s transportation network has always been one of our top priorities,” Cuomo said in a statement. “Well-maintained infrastructure plays an essential role in driving economic growth and keeps travelers safe. These projects have gone a long way towards improving driving conditions on Long Island’s busiest roadways and have made it easier for New Yorkers to get where they need to go safely and efficiently.”
The office says that the Northern State Parkway is one of the most heavily traveled roadways on Long Island as a key travel route used to reach New York City.
An additional 8.5 miles of state road on the island were resurfaced, including Hillside Avenue, or State Route 25B from the Northern State Parkway to Jericho Turnpike, or State Route 25 in the Town of North Hempstead. Streets in the Town of Huntington, the Town of Brookhaven, the Town of Islip, and the Town of Smithtown were also resurfaced.
New reflective lane markings, shoulder delineators, and guide rail reflectors were also installed, and storm drains cleaned and repaired to prevent flooding during the course of the resurfacing projects.
Area representatives such as State Sen. Anna Kaplan (D-Great Neck), state Asseblyman Ed Ra (R-Mineola) and state Assemblyman Anthony D’Urso (D-New Hyde Park) responded positively to news of the repairs.
“I take the Northern State Parkway to work every day, so I speak from personal experience when I say that the new paving and safety improvements are a welcome change for drivers getting around Nassau County, and this kind of investment in our infrastructure is absolutely critical to reducing traffic and keeping our economy moving forward,” Kaplan said. “I’m grateful for Governor Cuomo’s laser-focus on investing in Long Island’s infrastructure, and I thank all the dedicated workers who worked throughout the pandemic to get this incredible project done.”
“Improvements to these well-traveled roadways will enhance safety for motorists and help traffic flow,” Ra said. “I thank the Governor for his continued commitment to maintaining and modernizing our state roads.”
“I was delighted that I was instrumental in getting the Northern State Parkway repaved at the request of my constituents who from the first day I took office reached out and asked that I get the Parkway repaved,” D’Urso said. “I would like to thank the New York State Department of Transportation for putting the Parkway on its priority list and getting the repaving done in a timely matter and making the road a smoother ride for all motorists who utilize the Parkway.”
