Valley Stream Boulevard will re-open Friday

Valley Stream Boulevard, seen under construction last month, will re-open to traffic on Oct. 28.

Andrew Hackmack/Herald

Valley Stream Boulevard, which has been closed for construction for six months, will officially re-open to traffic on Friday. It was shut down in April, between Hicks Street and Ballard Avenue, to replace an aging and dilapidated culvert, which carries a stream underneath the road. Officials say the culvert likely dated back to the 1920s and needed to be replaced for safety reasons.

Village Clerk Bob Barra said that the road will officially be re-opened during a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 3:15 p.m. “That’s when you’ll be able to ride your vehicle over,” he said.

Until then, crews will continue to put on the finishing touches, including shoring up the stream embankments. Valley Stream Boulevard serves as a major east-west route for commuters and visitors to Village Hall and the Waldinger Library.

The project cost about $2 million and came in within budget, officials say.