Environmental Assessment of Colonial Road Bridge Available For Public Comment

A project to rebuild the Colonial Road Bridge in the Village of Thomaston is nearing reality thanks to the efforts of Senator Jack M. Martins and Thomaston Village Mayor Robert Stern, who worked together with Long Island Railroad President Helena Williams in appropriately addressing community concerns over the project.

Upon taking office in 2011, Senator Martins, the chairman of the Senate Standing Committee on Local Government, facilitated discussions with Mayor Stern and the LIRR so that the bridge could be rebuilt without negatively impacting the residential community.

There is much to look forward to, including a significant reduction of noise as cars pass over the existing metal grate roadway, not to mention the elimination of this unattractive structure in an otherwise beautiful community. The new bridge will incorporate additional aesthetic considerations, including decorative and traffic-concealing plantings, as well as several sound-absorbing features. Overall, the new bridge will represent a vast improvement in every respect.

The new Colonial Road Bridge will retain the existing alignment and the retaining wall in the area is to be clad with sound-absorbing materials to minimize noise impact in the surrounding neighborhood.

Now, it’s time for the public to weigh in on the plan. The environmental assessment for the project is available at the Great Neck Public Library, located at 159 Bayview Avenue in Great Neck and at the Thomaston Village Hall, located 100 East Shore Road in Great Neck as well as the MTA website at http://www.mta.info/lirr/News/ColonialRoad. The comment period will remain open through January 13, 2013.

“I am glad to have worked with Mayor Stern to get the LIRR to redesign the bridge to address the community’s concerns,” said Senator Martins. “It’s a better project and a better fit for the community. Not only is the new design a vast improvement on the bridge, it offers more plantings and screening. A true win-win.”