Photo courtesy of NYSDOT.The $58 million reconstruction project on the three bridges at the Long Island Expressway/Grand Central Parkway Interchange and improvement work at the Long Island Expressway (LIE) between the Grand Central Parkway and College Point Boulevard is expected to be completed in the spring of 2018, nine months ahead of schedule, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced this week, according to QNS.
The project included the replacement of deck and steel structures and widening of the bridges to provide space for shoulders.
Lighting and cable upgrades were installed on the LIE mainline and service roads, and drainage structures were installed to allow stormwater to run off. Pavement restoration, roadway resurfacing and new markings will wrap up the project.
“These vital improvements will help ease congestion at this busy interchange for motorists, while offering those traveling to LaGuardia Airport and JFK a smoother commute,” Cuomo said, according to the news agency. “By modernizing and strengthening Queens’ transportation infrastructure, we help to meet the demands of the 21st-century traveler while spurring economic growth for the entire Empire State.”
“Our roads need an urgent injection of investment to ensure they do not continue to deteriorate,” New York State Senator Jose Peralta said, according to the news agency. “We need to accelerate and make the modernization of our infrastructure a priority. The reconstruction of these three bridges at the Long Island Expressway/Grand Central Parkway interchange is a good step toward the goal of modernizing our roads to improve safety. I applaud Governor Cuomo for this and other projects put in place to improve our network of roads.”
“Strong and resilient transportation infrastructure is critical to spurring local economies, connecting travelers to their destinations and helping move New York forward,” New York State Assemblywoman Nily Rozic said, according to QNS.
