(MINEOLA, N.Y.) - Nassau County Legislator Ellen W. Birnbaum (D - Great Neck) announced that the Rules Committee of the Nassau County Legislature voted on Monday, July 13 to enter a $587,560 professional engineering design services with KS Engineers, P.C. related to the reconstruction of the Cutter Mill Road/Bayview Avenue Bridge over the Long Island Rail Road in the Village of Great Neck Plaza.
When completed, the overhaul will address recent findings contained within the New York State Department of Transportation’s Biannual Bridge Inspection Report, which identified significant deficiencies in the current structure. Construction for the project, which calls for demolition of the superstructure and constructing a new, modern bridge from the foundation up, will be eligible for 80 percent federal reimbursement.
“There are significant impacts associated with rehabilitating this bridge due to complex issues of it going over the LIRR and shared responsibilities of the bridge, deck and abutments with the MTA - LIRR for their train operations and maintenance. While we are pleased that Nassau County has allocated funds for this bridge repair work, needless to say, for the period of its rehabilitation and construction, it will have a significant impact on the Village of Great Neck Plaza, its residents, businesses, commuters and the Great Neck Peninsula in general,” Village of Great Neck Plaza Mayor Jean Celender said. “The Village of Great Neck Plaza looks forward to working with Legislator Ellen Birnbaum and KS Engineers during the design process to ensure concerns identified by the Village are addressed in the phasing schemes, maintenance and protection of traffic for vehicles and pedestrians, detour schemes, construction equipment staging and maintenance of emergency services by Vigilant and other emergency response providers in the vicinity of the project.”
“Through this vital infrastructure project, Nassau County will address critical public safety concerns while simultaneously ameliorating a persistent eyesore in the Village of Great Neck Plaza,” Legislator Birnbaum said. “Working closely with Mayor Celender, KS Engineers, community leaders and our first responders, we have an opportunity to design and complete this project in a manner that reaps the greatest long-term benefits for Great Neck Plaza and its neighboring communities. I thank my colleagues on the Legislature’s Rules committee for setting the project into motion by voting to approve this design service contract.”