Nassau County will see the largest share of a $146 million investment in Long Island transportation infrastructure, with major resurfacing projects planned along the Long Island Expressway and Sunrise Highway, as well as rehabilitation work on three South Shore bridges that provide access to beaches and waterfront communities.
Gov. Kathy Hochul unveiled the projects on June 8, saying the investments are intended to improve safety, strengthen infrastructure and extend the lifespan of some of the region’s busiest roadways.
“Investing in Long Island’s bridges and highways means investing in safety, economic opportunity and improving the stability of vital roadways while building a dependable transportation system that Long Islanders need,” Hochul said in a news release. “Through our historic capital plan, we are doing projects of all shapes and sizes across Long Island, rebuilding our transportation network today to meet the needs of tomorrow.”
The largest Nassau County project is a $52.3 million resurfacing effort on the Long Island Expressway. State officials said roughly 175,000 tons of asphalt would be used to renew 193 lane miles of roadway, including travel lanes, shoulders, and the high-occupancy vehicle lane and entrance and exit ramps across the county.
The project will also include cleaning and maintenance of more than 1,100 storm drains to improve drainage and reduce flooding risks. Major paving work is expected to be completed this fall.
“We have a lot of work to do across the entire state this year and our crews will be out there in force, improving hundreds of miles of roads this year alone on Long Island — enhancing safety across every region of the Empire State,” state Department of Transportation Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez said in the release.
A second major project will bring $59.7 million in pavement improvements to Sunrise Highway. More than 140 lane miles stretching from the Queens-Nassau border into western Suffolk County will be resurfaced.
Crews will install nearly 224,000 tons of new asphalt, clean and upgrade more than 1,600 storm drains, modernize traffic signals and improve more than 550 sidewalk ramps to meet Americans with Disabilities Act standards. The work is also expected to wrap up this fall.
The state is also launching a $16 million bridge rehabilitation project on three South Shore crossings in the Town of Hempstead. The Loop Parkway Bridge over Reynolds Channel and the Meadowbrook State Parkway bridges over Fundy Channel and False Channel will receive new concrete riding surfaces, bridge deck repairs, replacement joints and railings, and upgraded navigation lighting.
State officials said the improvements are designed to extend the service life of the bridges by at least 20 years while maintaining critical access to Jones Beach State Park, Long Beach and other South Shore destinations. Major work will begin this month and continue through 2028. No daytime lane closures are planned between Memorial Day and Labor Day.
Additional projects announced include a $15 million pavement restoration effort on the Heckscher State Parkway in Suffolk County and a $3.6 million crack-sealing project on portions of the Long Island Expressway in Suffolk.
“Heckscher State Park is one of Long Island’s most treasured outdoor destinations, welcoming more than 1.3 million visitors each year for beaches, boating, recreation, and year-round activities,” Kathy Moser, the state’s commissioner for the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, said in the release.
Hochul also toted the completion of an $18.5 million resurfacing project on the Northern State Parkway in Nassau and Suffolk counties. The work, completed ahead of schedule, renewed roughly 50 lane miles of pavement and upgraded more than 50 sidewalk ramps for accessibility improvements.
