Oyster Bay: Road work ahead of schedule

The Town of Oyster Bay's project to rebuild problem-plagued Jackson Avenue, the main north-south road through Syosset, is expected to be completed well ahead of schedule.

"We are shooting for the end of this year," said town spokeswoman Phyllis Barry. The original completion date was next August.

Drainage improvements -- new catch basins and pipes -- are done, Barry said. Construction of new curbs is 90 percent complete. Poles, crossarms and new traffic lights have been installed at The Mall and Dawes Avenue, and a subcontractor is scheduled to wire them within six weeks.

About 60 percent of the roadway has been repaved with striping and other road markings painted on those portions. Decorative light poles have been installed from the Long Island Rail Road tracks south to Convent Road but have not yet been wired.

"We are really thrilled that it's ahead of schedule and will be done before the winter," said Laura Schultz, president of Residents for a More Beautiful Syosset. "It looks wonderful."

And with new sidewalks on both sides of the road, she added, "It is so much safer for pedestrians and vehicles."

The town and Nassau County agreed last year that Oyster Bay would manage the project on the county road. The county is contributing $3 million to the work.

The agreement ended years of inaction on the busy thoroughfare between Jericho Turnpike and the tracks, where potholes, a blind curve, lack of sidewalks and inadequate drainage on the one-mile stretch drew constant complaints from residents.

In the summer, the county agreed to accelerate its contribution to speed the work. Instead of making payments in stages based on the progress, the county said it would pay the total at once. That lessened the chances of work being delayed by having to wait for funds.

In March, the town awarded a $3.8-million, 18-month construction contract to Carlo Lizza & Sons Paving of Hicksville. The town had already spent about $1 million in engineering costs.

Two-way traffic continues despite the work, with drivers maneuvering through a maze of orange cones and heavy equipment.