Plans to build a bridge or tunnel from Long Island to Connecticut are not in the latest multibillion-dollar federal plan to fix the Northeast Corridor rail line – all but sealing the fate for the project that was a dream for some but a nightmare for others.
Oyster Bay Town Supervisor Joe Saladino praised the Federal Railroad Administration for withholding the money from the plan that Gov. Andrew Cuomo and others have been trying to push through.
"New York state must now follow and end their dream of a cross-Sound bridge or tunnel…Their dream is our nightmare," he told News 12 Long Island.
Building a bridge or a tunnel is an idea that's been around for decades. Supporters see it as a way to bolster the economy and ease travel. Opponents say it would be nothing but a detriment to Long Islanders.
"It would significantly increase traffic throughout the North Shore, put protected wildlife in jeopardy, ruin the environment, ruin the character of our communities and a long list of other problems," says Saladino.
According to
Newsday, the Federal Railroad Administration's Northeast Corridor Future project will spend between $120 billion and $150 billion on a "corridor-wide vision" to improve rail service, modernize corridor infrastructure and expand rail capacity, officials said.