LIRR to replace Cherry Lane Bridge as part of third track expansion project
The Cherry Lane Bridge in Carle Place will be replaced June 1-2 as part of the LIRR expansion project. Credit: Howard Schnapp
A Long Island Rail Road plan to replace a 66-year-old bridge in Carle Place will result in a two-day suspension of service along one of the railroad’s busiest stretches, the agency said Thursday.
During the June 1-2 weekend, crews will take down the existing rail bridge carrying the LIRR’s tracks over Cherry Lane in Carle Place and replace it with a newly assembled bridge. The work will require suspending service on the LIRR’s Main Line between Mineola and Hicksville during the 48-hour period.
The project is part of the LIRR’s $2.6 billion effort to construct a third track on its Main Line between Floral Park and Hicksville. The new bridge will be wider to support the new track, and it also will be elevated by 14 inches to reduce the potential for truck strikes. The new height of the bridge will be 14 feet.
During the service suspension, the LIRR will close its Westbury and Carle Place stations and add express trains on its Babylon line. Some trains on other lines also will have their schedules adjusted during the work.
More information and special timetables will be available at mta.info, mylirr.org and through the MTA’s and LIRR’s mobile apps.
The Cherry Lane project is one of several planned and recently completed bridge replacements throughout the LIRR system. The railroad replaced the 107-year-old Post Avenue Bridge in Westbury in 2017 and the Buckham Road Bridge in Locust Valley in October. The railroad expects to replace the Glen Cove Road Bridge in Carle Place this fall.
Alfonso Castillo has been reporting for Newsday since 1999 and covering the transportation beat since 2008. He grew up in the Bronx and Queens and now lives in Valley Stream with his wife and two sons.
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