Expect to see significantly more construction activity along New Hempstead Road in coming weeks as the weather gets milder.
“In the next few weeks we’re going to be working the section between Little Tor Road and Main Street,” said Joe Pyzowski, Rockland County highway department project manager. “ We’ll be finishing that off. You’ll see the curbs and sidewalks that we didn’t complete last year being done.”
Other work set to begin includes lighting.
“Now we have an application for electric service for the lights and street lighting as well as the traffic signals, he said. “ So hopefully they’ll be running and operational over the next month or two.”
Pyzowski pointed out much still needs to be done.
“Really the focus this year is west of Little Tor Road,” he said. “But we still have a lot of utilities to move. Verizon and Cablevision are still on the utility poles that are out there.”
The poles need to be removed in order to finish curbs and drainage work and paving.
Although this winter has not been as mild as last year’s Pyzowski said the contractor continued working although not as much could be done because of the snowstorms and heavy rain. He predicted drivers will notice lots of activity. The parking lot next to the highway department building will be finished, the gap in the sidewalk where the temporary road was placed will be fixed and there will be a continuous sidewalk.
Pyzowski spoke after legislative committee agreed to authorizing the county executive and county highway superintendent to apply for reimbursement of $1.3 million from the federal government and state Department of Transportation. Pyzowski said $1.3 million requested is for construction inspection costs.
“Originally the project was underfunded in the construction inspection phase with the promise from the feds and the state DOT that we would receive the additional funding in federal fiscal year 2013 which began in October,” he said.
He explained the $1.3 million will fully fund the construction inspection phase of the two-mile long project.
