By Kathianne Boniello
Any resident who does not know about the project to redesign the Long Island Expressway-Cross Island Parkway interchange in Little Neck will find out in early December when work is to begin on a yearlong reconstruction of the Marathon Parkway bridge over the expressway.
Half of the overpass was slated to be shut down when work begins in the next few months to widen the roadway, said Bob Carbone, the engineer in charge of the project for the state Department of Transportation.
The bridge is being worked on as part of a larger project to redesign the interchange between the Long Island Expressway and the Cross Island Parkway. The interchange project, which will permanently eliminate the Douglaston Parkway exit as the roadway is reshaped, was proposed by state Sen. Frank Padavan (R-Bellerose) when Queens residents protested the widening of the expressway for High Occupancy Vehicle lanes.
Work on the Marathon Parkway bridge was expected to start once Con Edison completed its work to relocate utility lines that now run under the overpass.
The Douglaston Parkway exit will remain open for the duration of the Marathon Parkway work but eventually will be shut down, the state Department of Transportation said.
According to a construction update from the field office for the project, traffic agents were expected to be on hand throughout the Marathon Parkway work to direct traffic and to aide children walking to and from nearby MS 67.
Bus stops on either side of the intersection of Marathon Parkway and the LIE were slated to be relocated about 300 feet from their current locations.
Work on the Little Neck Parkway bridge, which is less than a mile away from the Marathon Parkway overpass, was expected to begin later on. The state DOT said work at the Little Neck Parkway bridge should not be as extensive as the Marathon Parkway work.
Reach reporter Kathianne Boniello by e-mail at Timesledgr@aol.com or call 229-0300, Ext. 146.