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Overcast Pavement opens on Grand Avenue a few weeks ago due to a cracked sewer main
Pedestrians and motorists got a sinking feeling when a large section of pavement on Grand Avenue in Baldwin suddenly opened up on June 27.
Sewage started seeping up from the ground after a 42-inch sewer main cracked open, creating a sinkhole that has rendered parts of the road inoperable until at least July 15, officials said.
The crater has caused a major headache for area residents and motorists.
Baldwin resident Maureen Herman said that she hasn’t driven down Grand Avenue, and that if she needed to get to North Baldwin, she would be forced to take the Southern State Parkway to the Meadowbrook and then to Freeport. Although she doesn’t smell the sewage, the traffic detours have caused plenty of aggravation.
“I feel so bad for Stu-Art and Malkin Appliances and all the other businesses on Grand Avenue,” Herman said. “I volunteer at the Baldwin Historical Society and Museum, and we will be closed every Sunday until this is over.”
As community members wait for the roadway to be repaired, Nassau County Legislator Debra Mulé suggested that they consult navigation apps to find out how long they will be waiting in traffic.
“This is a major inconvenience for the people who live in that area, and there’s no question about that,” Mulé said. “But I hope that people will understand that this is work that absolutely has to be done on an emergency basis.”
Mulé sent letters to county, state and federal officials, urging them to prioritize repairs to the county’s aging infrastructure.
Chief William Dworsak of the Baldwin Fire Department has received assurance that the South Hempstead Fire Department will assist Baldwin’s north fire companies with emergency calls north of the sinkhole, according to Baldwin firefighter Jerry Brown.
Baldwin’s southern fire units also remain available for all alarms, but will experience delays as they are forced to use alternate routes to access the north end of the district.
At a July 1 news conference, County Executive Bruce Blakeman said that repairs on the ruptured sewer line would begin on Monday, and that new lining would reinforce the sewage pipes for “hopefully the next 10 years.” Sewage will be pumped from the streets until the lining is installed, he added.
On July 3, Mulé sent letters to Blakeman, U.S. Rep. Anthony D’Esposito, Senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand and Gov. Kathy Hochul, asking them to expedite the necessary funding for Nassau County from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
Because the Baldwin incident marked the second time in less than a month that a sinkhole damaged a major Nassau County roadway — the other one took place on Lido Boulevard, in Lido Beach, on May 31 — Mulé made it clear that her letters were urgency.
“We have aging infrastructure,” she said. “We’re one of the oldest suburbs in the country. And the infrastructure money that was approved by (President) Biden and approved in Congress needs to get here so we can address these issues, because I firmly believe that this is not going to be the last time that we hear about a sinkhole in Nassau County.”
Mulé has been pushing for improved infrastructure on Long Island since she was elected to the Legislature six years ago. She has also asked Blakeman to incorporate investments in Nassau County’s infrastructure in the 2024 Nassau County capital plan.
