Maple Ave. work finally begins

Construction work on Maple Avenue has officially started Aug. 11.

“They’re doing the concrete first so they’re digging the curbs, the sidewalks and driveway aprons,” said village Spokesperson Julie Grilli.

The plan is for work to start on the north side of the road, going west from Park Avenue to Long Beach Road. Then construction will turn around and do the south side of Maple Avenue and work eastward.

As a result, one lane of the two-lane Maple Avenue will be closed at times, which will create traffic on neighboring roads.

The village has said that construction should be mostly complete by Thanksgiving.

The project is expected to cost $2.6 million. Half of the construction funds came from a federal grant that focuses on rebuilding roads to make them safer for bicycle riders and pedestrians. The other half of the funds came from the village.

Improvements to Maple Avenue include widening the street corners with “bump-outs” to make the road safer for pedestrians, and crosswalks will be painted red instead of the current white stripes.

The primary contractor is Roadwork Ahead, based in Westbury, while Cameron Engineering, of Woodbury, will provide construction management and street inspection services.

Maple Avenue has been under construction since last year, though work has slowed down in the past due to a lack of state funding and the discovery of pipes and electrical lines that did not appear in maps of the area. The route of the St. Patrick’s Parade was changed this year because of the work on the street, but Mayor Francis X. Murray promised that it would be ready for next year’s parade.