Nassau County seeks funding for $8.9M project to repair Austin Boulevard in Island Park

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A long-awaited $8.9 million repair to Austin Boulevard, in Island Park, is one of 12 large-scale projects that Nassau County officials and labor leaders hope to fund with a $503 million federal infrastructure stimulus for the county that is now under consideration by Congress.
“I’m calling on our federal representatives to approve this infrastructure stimulus package to help us build back a county that is stronger than ever,” County Executive Laura Curran said in a statement. “Infrastructure investments are the foundation of our economic recovery — and essential to getting thousands of people back to work.”
Curran said the county estimates that more than 3,300 full-time construction jobs would be created in Nassau if the stimulus were approved and all the projects were to move forward, creating an economic output of more than $400 million.
The Austin Boulevard improvements were announced as part of Curran’s 2021-24 Capital Improvement Plan in October. The county allocated the funding for the project, so it will happen regardless of whether federal funds become available.
Part of the plan focuses on upgrading a 1.4-mile stretch of the roadway. Work is scheduled to begin in early 2021, and is intended to improve pedestrian and vehicle safety, as well as drainage and storm resiliency.

A similar project was slated to begin last spring, but was shelved because of the coronavirus pandemic. Traffic-related roadway improvements for Austin Boulevard, which runs north and south through Barnum Isle, include a southbound lane reduction, reconfigured lane widths, raised and painted center medians, increased parking lane widths and new traffic signals with protected left-turn signs at select intersections. Intelligent transportation systems, including cameras, driver feedback signs for speed awareness and variable message signs will be installed along the road to improve daily traffic flow and emergency evacuation routes.
Pedestrian improvements will include curb build-outs, improved crosswalks and countdown timers at all intersections with traffic signals. Existing drainage problems will be addressed in the Barnum Island area with the construction of a separate drainage outfall for Long Beach Road runoff. Additional drainage improvements will be incorporated into the reconfigured intersection at Austin Boulevard and Vanderbilt Avenue as well as Broadway.
The project involved a long public engagement process, which included several Technical Advisory Committee meetings and a community meeting during the study and analysis phase.  Construction is scheduled to take two years.
U.S. Rep. Kathleen Rice, a Democrat who represents the 4th District, said she supports the stimulus proposal because of “unprecedented fiscal constraints” created by the pandemic, which have put several infrastructure projects on hold across the county. Among the restraints is limited access to financial markets, constraining Nassau’s ability to borrow for capital projects.
“As we continue to fight this virus, investments in our infrastructure will be essential for getting people back to work again,” Rice said in a statement.
Despite financial constraints, county officials have received the necessary approvals to move forward with the 12 projects in the stimulus plan, including Austin Boulevard.
“The construction industry was hit hard by the pandemic, with over 37,000 jobs lost on Long Island,” Curran said in a statement. “Delays to infrastructure improvements are costly and have a rippling effect on our economy. When roads and bridges are poor, shipments of products are slower, vacant storefronts are harder to fill, and employees have a more difficult time getting to work. Robust federal stimulus is vital to preventing further economic catastrophe.”