Transit Blogger

No LIRR Long Beach Service This Weekend

New track being installed at the Powell Creek Bridge. Photo courtesy of MTA Long Island Rail Road (LIRR).

Yet again, due to the construction of new bridges over Powell Creek & Hog Island Channel, the MTA Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) is replacing Long Beach Line service with buses. Here are the complete details from a reminder press release that was sent to me earlier:

Buses will replace train service for Long Island Rail Road customers traveling between Long Beach and Valley Stream the weekend of Saturday, February 27 and Sunday, February 28 as work continues on the construction of two new railroad bridges over Powell Creek and Hog Island Channel.

The shutdown of train service on that weekend was added to the LIRR’s original construction scheduled because recent snowstorms have impeded work on previous weekends. The Railroad’s goal is to complete the installation of both bridges before the Memorial Day.

The $24.5 million project, which is funded through the MTA Capital Budget and federal grants, will also require train outages on four other weekends later this year – March 20-21, March 27-28, May 1-2 and May 15-16. Each weekend will be preceded by a public notification so that LIRR Long Beach Branch customers can plan ahead.

In addition to the temporary busing for the weekend dates listed above, the work will require the Railroad to close the eastbound platforms at Island Park, Oceanside, East Rockaway and Centre Ave. Stations on the following weekends: February 20-21 and March 6-7. The LIRR reminds customers to allow extra time to cross over to the westbound platform upon arriving at those stations

Eastbound, when busing is in effect, customers will transfer to buses at Valley Stream for stations Lynbrook through Long Beach. Customers should allow up to 34 minutes of additional travel time.

Westbound, customers will board buses at stations Long Beach through Lynbrook bound for Valley Stream, where they will transfer to trains to complete their trip. Buses will depart up to 33 minutes earlier than scheduled train times.

Both the Powell Creek Bridge (located between the LIRR’s East Rockaway and Oceanside stations) and the Hog Island Channel Bridge (located between Oceanside and Island Park) were built in the 1920s, and have served the LIRR well for nearly 90 years. These two bridges are being replaced as part of the Railroad’s ongoing efforts to modernize its infrastructure and ensure safe and reliable service for our customers and neighbors for decades to come.

The existing Powell Creek and Hog Island Bridges are open-deck wooden and steel structures supported by wooden piles through which water is visible below. These structures will be removed and replaced with pre-cast concrete structures, supported by reinforced concrete-filled, steel pipe piles, which will provide safer, closed-deck concrete roadbeds.

The project will also alleviate a recurring flooding condition at Powell Creek Bridge, which has at times led to delays and temporary service suspensions, by raising the elevation of the bridge by approximately one foot. Bridge walkways will also be installed at both locations to make it safer for LIRR employees.

xoxo Transit Blogger

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