Bridge project, track inspection to disrupt LIRR weekend service
Written by jrood
February 14, 2001 Buses will replace train service for Long Island Rail Road customers traveling between Long Beach and Valley Stream May 1-2 as work continues on the construction of two new railroad bridges over Powell Creek and Hog Island Channel. The $24.5-million project, which is funded through the MTA Capital Budget and federal grants, will also require another train outage on the weekend of May 15-16. The railroad's goal is to complete the installation of both bridges before Memorial Day.
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
Stations) 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.
LIRR will provide bus
service in place of trains east of Farmingdale on the Ronkonkoma Branch during
the early morning of May 8. Track inspections will be made by the Sperry Rail
Car between 12:45 a.m. and 6:39 a.m.
The Sperry Rail Car, a
bright yellow vehicle fitted with ultrasonic and induction test equipment, is
designed to detect internal rail defects not readily visible to the eye.
Defects that are found will be corrected immediately by a crew of LIRR track
maintenance workers. The Sperry Rail Car is used twice a year to inspect
approximately 500 miles of LIRR track.
