By Kathianne Boniello
In the wake of an apparent terrorist attack on the World Trade Center Tuesday, it was unclear whether an expected closure of the northbound Cross Island Parkway this weekend would go forth as planned.
The 24-hour closing of all three lanes of the northbound Cross Island Parkway had been scheduled to begin at 5 a.m. Saturday and end at about 5 a.m. Sunday. A spokeswoman for the project could not be reached as of presstime to confirm whether the closure would proceed as planned.
The closing is due to the Cross Island Parkway-Long Island Expressway rehabilitation project to reshape the northeast Queens interchange between the two highways. It would be the first major closing of either thoroughfare since the work began last summer, a spokeswoman for the project said Monday.
To rebuild the Long Island Expressway bridge that goes over the Cross Island Parkway, large steel beams were brought in from Philadelphia, spokeswoman Cristina Capurro said.
To install the beams, all three lanes of the northbound Cross Island Parkway at the LIE were scheduled to be closed from 5 a.m. Saturday to roughly 5 a.m. Sunday. Intermittent closings of either one or two lanes were slated for the parkway in both directions throughout the weekend.
Capurro said motorists should use the Grand Central Parkway or the Clearview or Van Wyck expressways as alternates to the Cross Island Parkway this weekend. (However, there have been delays on the Van Wyck Expressway for months now with the ongoing AirTrain construction project.)
The $112 million LIE-Cross Island Parkway project was conceived as an alternative plan by the state when northeast Queens residents and politicians protested the idea of widening the LIE for High Occupancy Vehicle lanes in 1996. State Sen. Frank Padavan (R-Bellerose) was a major architect of the project.
The project includes the reconstruction of LIE overpasses in Little Neck and Douglaston and the buildup of West Alley Road to handle traffic that would have used the eastbound Douglaston Parkway exit, which was closed.
The project was also expected to include the addition of 12 acres of parkland to Alley Pond Park; new pedestrian walkways and lighting in the new parkland; the rehabilitation of the old Alley Pond; and the permanent closing of the eastbound Douglaston Parkway exit.
For more information about the interchange project call Community Board 11 at 225-1054 or the field office at 279-4533.
Reach reporter Kathianne Boniello by e-mail at Timesledger@aol.com or call 229-0300, Ext. 146.
