By Hank Russell
The New York State Department of Transportation is about to start a drainage enhancement project which seeks to enhance drainage capacity and resiliency on the Meadowbrook State Parkway under Merrick Road and the Wantagh State Parkway under Bay Parkway. The project has entered the construction advertising/bidding phase, with construction scheduled to start later this fall.
According to the NYS DOT, work on the Meadowbrook includes hydraulically separating the roadway’s low point located under the Merrick Road bridge — approximately 1,000 feet of roadway length — with steel sheeting, check valves, rerouting of drainage lines, and installing a pump station to drain the isolated area low point. Additional work includes installing tide gates to protect inland areas of Merrick and Freeport from coastal storm flooding and installing underground drains to dewater the permanently soggy grass shoulder.
The work on the Wantagh also involves hydraulically separating the roadway’s low point located under the Bay Parkway bridge (also consisting of 1,000 feet of road) with check valves, rerouting of drainage lines, and installing a pump station to drain the isolated area low point, the DOT says. Additional work includes installing underground drains to dewater the permanently soggy grass shoulder and installing a coastline structure to protect outfall pipes that are repeatedly damaged from coastal storms.
“Fifth District residents rely on the Meadowbrook and Wantagh State Parkways every day – and with extreme weather growing more common as climate change intensifies, these improvements are especially important for keeping the south shore safe and preserving our quality of life,” Nassau County Legislator Seth Koslow (D-Merrick) said. “I am glad to see that this important project is moving forward, and I will keep the community posted as work proceeds.”