Key parkway interchange in Westbury area to be revamped, state officials say

Safety improvements began on Monday at the Northern State Parkway interchange with Jericho Turnpike and Glen Cove Road, a $3.8 million project designed to upgrade signals, widen ramps, add lanes and upgrade pedestrian crossings, state officials said.

The work, which mainly will be done at night, should be completed by the summer of 2023, the state transportation commissioner said.

Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez in a statement said: “This project will help ease congestion and improve mobility for motorists and pedestrians through one of Long Island’s busiest interchanges, providing new momentum to an already vibrant area.”

The intersection, located between the villages of Westbury and Old Westbury, serves "nearby shopping centers, residential neighborhoods and recreational facilities," she said.

In addition to widening the ramp that links the Northern State to the two other roads, a turning lane will be built on northbound Glen Cove Road leading to westbound Jericho Turnpike.

A second lane will be added to the off-ramp from the parkway's westbound lanes to northbound Glen Cove Road. A raised median will prevent illegal left turns from the Northern State's exit ramp and sidewalks and traffic signals, which will gain countdown timers, will be modernized. Pedestrian crossings on Jericho Turnpike and Glen Cove Road will also be upgraded, officials said.

Democratic Sen. Anna Kaplan of North Hills said: "Far too many Long Islanders are all too familiar with the sense of hopeless despair that comes from trying to get on or off of the Northern Parkway at Glen Cove Road and Jericho Turnpike at rush hour, so it's welcome news that construction on this long overdue project to fix the problem will finally bring relief to local drivers."