Road work on the horizon

Work on Lynwood Drive in North Valley Stream has started early, but Town of Hempstead officials say they don’t have a timetable for when the project will be completed.

The Town’s 2009 road improvement schedule included a portion of Lynwood Drive that falls outside of the Incorporated Village of Valley Stream. The village had planned to improve the remainder of Lynwood Drive anyway, so it entered into an intermunicipal agreement with the town to complete the improvements from the village line to Hendrickson Avenue.

“It just doesn’t make sense to do only half the job when, by working together, the improvements to the entire Lynwood Drive area are quickly and economically achieved in a single construction project,” said Town Supervisor Kate Murray.

Valley Stream Mayor Ed Cahill agreed that collaborating with the town for the construction was the best route for the village. “This is the most practical and cost effective approach to completing the Lynwood Drive road work,” Cahill said. “A road improvement contract with the Town of Hempstead is beneficial to both the village and the residents of Lynwood Drive.”

The project includes the construction of new curbs, driveways, aprons, the installation of pedestrian access ramps at all intersections, new asphalt pavement, and the restoration of disturbed grass areas. Town officials said the construction — which is being done by Richard W. Grim Inc. of Remsenburg, N.Y. — will not completely close down Lynwood Drive, but there will be some traffic interruption and temporary disuse of driveways. Officials added that driveway aprons will be replaced in the same location and will remain the same size.

In the case of the village’s capital road project, Village Engineer Tony Cella said that the design for the upcoming roadwork was recently completed and that the project will go out to bid on Monday. “We will get the bids by the middle of September and hopefully, we can start the work by the first week in October,” Cella said.