Community News

Merrick Road repair project delayed until spring

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A major streetscape project that was announced in September, and was intended to beautify the Merrick Road business district between Bellmore and Merrick, has been delayed until the spring. The project, officials said, is being held up because necessary Town of Hempstead work permits must be obtained.

The town must approve permits for the installation of the new LED solar-powered street lamps in order for the project to move forward.

The planned project stretches along Merrick Road from Bedford Avenue to Prospect Place, according to County Legislator Steve Rhoads. In addition to new solar lighting, it will include renovation of brickwork and sidewalks, as well as the relocation of power lines underground. It will complete roadwork running from Merrick to Wantagh.

Rhoads said harsh winter weather makes roadwork impossible, so the project will not begin until spring. It was originally announced as a part of the county’s “Operation Restore Our Roadways,” which is repairing and restoring main roads damaged in recent years by natural disasters like Hurricane Sandy.

Severe weather and temperature fluctuations affect a road’s integrity. Surfaces develop cracks because of stress caused by vehicles traveling at high speeds while the road heats and cools. Even small cracks allow water to seep below the surface, weakening the road and causing potholes, according to Steven Ackerman and Jonathan Martin, professors in the Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences at the University of Wisconsin at Madison.

The Bellmore-Merrick reconstruction project includes the removal and replacement of deteriorated concrete from sidewalks and curbs, replacement of decorative utility strips, and installation of benches, lighting fixtures and trees.

“We’ve been pushing for this project for the last three years,” said Alison Frankel, president of the South Bellmore Civic Association. “Reconstruction started at one end of Merrick and one end of Bellmore, but was never completed.“

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