LIRR Construction Along Busy New Hyde Park Road Frustrating Residents, Commuters
NEW HYDE PARK, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- Some drivers have construction concerns.
The Long Island Rail Road is closing down one of the busiest roads in Nassau County for months for important safety improvements.
But as CBS2's Carolyn Gusoff found out Monday, it comes with headaches.
The new normal on New Hyde Park Road consists of construction noise and detours clogging residential streets. One of the busiest north-south corridors in Nassau is closed now for seven months.
"Workmen parked in front of our houses for extended periods of time overnight. There's litter being thrown, all kinds of disruptions," one resident said.
MORE: Residents That Live Near LIRR's Third Track Project Dealing With A Lot Of Shake, Rattle And Roll
The project is impacting train commuters, too. The nearby station has been closed and its platform relocated.
"It's very confusing," one resident said.
Despite a massive campaign to educate, some have been searching for the train platform, which was relocated.
"Nobody told me this. It took me to go all the way down here to go all the way down here," a person said.
But its all for safety and improved train service, following six fatalities in a decade, a third track being built and eight dangerous grade crossings eliminated and replaced with underpasses for cars.
"We are going to benefit from it," one resident said.
"Vehicles no longer cross the active railroad tracks. They also improvethe quality of life and reduce the need for the horns, the bells, the idling traffic while the gates are down," said LIRR project director Tom McGuinness.
MORE: State Audit Questions How LIRR Measures Ridership, Breakdowns
A new train station will also be built. But until then, the detours have been serving up problems for businesses.
"No one is coming in because everyone is anticipating the roads being messed up," business owner Harold Hernandez said.
And the construction is rattling more than just nerves.
"Shaking! I lose internet four times a day," another business owner said.
Detours will be adjusted as needed, officials said. Drivers are advised to avoid the area.
In the long run, New Hyde Park Mayor Lawrence Montreuil said it's like getting your kitchen remodeled. You hate going through it but at the end of the day this is going to be great.
The proverbial "end of the day" will come late in the summer.
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority created a website to update the public on its modernization projects. To go to it, please click here.
