Residents in New Hyde Park are gearing up for another road closure as Long Island Rail Road crews continue with the third track project.
Beginning Feb. 3, New Hyde Park Road will be closed from Plaza Avenue to Fourth Avenue so that crews can get rid of an at-grade crossing.
They will also reconstruct the roadway to create a new five-lane underpass.
“There's not very many alternative roads, which it’s going to make 12th Street and the neighborhood a lot busier,” says taxi driver Ed O'Connell.
The LIRR had planned to partially close New Hyde Park Road while completing the nine-month project. Now they say the entire road will be closed and that will cut construction time in the area.
“By closing the road fully, it can reduce that project section by two months. It will also allow the expediting of the platform and station work,” explains LIRR President Phillip Eng.
New Hyde Park Village Mayor Lawrence Montreuil recommends other alternative routes to residents.
“We want to get the word out to people, particularly south of New Hyde Park who use that to get to work or wherever to avoid the area. Really to use Cross Island Parkway, use the Meadowbrook Parkway, use Nassau Boulevard, use Franklin Avenue to get across those tracks,” Mayor Montreuil says.
Along with traffic being a concern, some businesses in the area are worried how this will affect their bottom line.
“It’s all an adjustment, everything is an adjustment,” says Andre Santos, who works at Ryder's Joe Deli right across from the train station. “We're concerned because it’s just going to close down. We're not really too sure what's going to happen.”
Along with the construction of an underpass on New Hyde Park Road, crews will also add pedestrian sidewalks on the east and west sides of the road and a dedicated left-turn lane onto Clinch Avenue.