ToH earmarks $40 million for road improvements

Clavin says stimulus package to aid in recovery from virus

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Town of Hempstead Supervisor Donald Clavin announced a $40 million stimulus package yesterday “in an effort to get people back to work once it is safe to do so.”

Clavin said the money would be used for roadway improvements. With more than 1,200 miles of roadways in the town, the investment could “help workers recover from the Covid-19 pandemic, while enhancing quality-of-life and driver and pedestrian safety.”

The town’s 2020 approved budget allocated roughly $150 million to fund the highway department and its various duties. Which new projects will be undertaken with the allocation remains to be determined.

Some of the repair work has already begun, according to Town Councilman Christopher Carini, whose district encompasses Wantagh and Seaford. Repaving the stretch of Beltagh Avenue between Forest Lake School and Old Mill Road began on March 23.

“The road surface will be replaced, and, in addition, new concrete curbs, driveway aprons and handicap ramps will be provided,” Carini said. “Being near an elementary school, it’s an important improvement that will increase safety for residents.  I look forward to its planned completion in the middle of May.”

Clavin said the stimulus package represented a movement toward a return to normal life, following the Covid-19 virus.

“This major capital investment symbolizes a significant step toward economic recovery … as we face the uncertainty of the Covid-19 pandemic together,” he said.