By ANTHONY BOTTAN
Now Long Island Railroad officials say the work won't be done until this September.
According to Salvatore Arena, spokesman for the LIRR, material delivery delays and bad weather pushed back construction last winter by nearly a year, and he previously estimated the work would be completed by June 2009. However, more structural problems arose during the last phase of construction, he said, due to faulty roofing. "The final stage, the reconstruction of the station building, is under way but behind schedule," Arena said. "The project has been delayed mostly because of problems with the steel roofing, which after initial delivery, had to be refabricated. After the roof was installed, leaks were discovered and had to be corrected. Our rainy spring weather also delayed the work."
The $4.7 million project, which involved an extensive upgrade to the station, was divided into three phases, Arena said. Only the last part has not been completed on time, he noted. "The first phase was completed last fall and brought significant improvements to the station's platform level," he said. "The second phase involved the installation of a ramp for customers with disabilities."
The entire project includes the construction of a new ticket office, waiting room and public restrooms, the renovation of the existing waiting rooms and the addition of escalator enclosures. New lighting was also installed, along with a new public address system, a wheelchair-accessible ramp, new sidewalks and landscaping around the station plaza.
Village Clerk Vinny Ang said the ongoing construction has made commuters angry and that never-ending construction has caused a lot of traffic congestion in the area."This is really dragging on," Ang said. "It's not a matter of impatience. It's causing parking problems. I had to take meters out to accommodate the scaffolding."
Ang added that some residents are complaining that they don't see construction workers at the site and are angered that the work upgrades have taken so long.
Brian Moore, 28, of Valley Stream, commutes to New York City every day and uses the station. He said construction doesn't affect the train schedule but does impact parking. "The worst thing is the taxis have nowhere to go," he said. "The taxis are blocking parking spots. It's a big headache. That whole area has turned into a nightmare."
Mayor Ed Cahill admitted he was upset with the delays to upgrade the station, but appreciates the cooperation of residents who have endured the traffic problems that accompanied the construction. "We're disappointed that it's not finished on time, but hopefully it will move along," Cahill said.
