From rusting Long Island Rail Road overpasses to station upgrades, see what repairs are in the works for Valley Stream

There are more than half a dozen railroad overpasses  belonging to the Long Island Rail Road spanning the village’s network of streets. Some carry trains over the village’s busiest corridors such as the village’s business district on Rockaway Avenue and traffic-heavy East Merrick Road.

Most, if not all of the bridges, are also covered in rust stains and suffer other signs of visible wear and tear. Many residents agree, after decades of use and sustained exposure to the elements, most seem to be crying out for restoration and repair.

Despite the unsightly conditions of the overpasses, they’ve been around for so long that they’ve blended, however gawkishly, into the village’s suburban scenery. But for Valley Stream officials like Mayor Ed Fare, the overpasses have long posed a more concerning problem than a begrudging eyesore.

If what Fare called the “structural weakness”of the bridges isn’t addressed promptly, he argues, drivers and pedestrians could become casualties of their apparent neglect. Something that seems to loosely confirm Fare’s careworn suspicions happened in 2019 when concrete rubble fell from an LIRR overpass on South Franklin Avenue. Residents were relieved to discover no reported injuries.

“Thank God no one was killed,” commuter David Darmstadter said shortly after the incident. “It’s old infrastructure.”

LIRR promises to upgrade  overpasses 

In the wake of the incident, lawmakers pledged to make Valley Stream’s old infrastructure new again by earmarking funds for overpass restoration into the Long Island Rail Road’s five-year capital plan. Four years later, the abatement and repainting of a portion of the overpass bridges are underway. In particular, the Sunrise Highway Bridge, which passes over Roosevelt Avenue, as well as the Merrick Road Bridge, near the intersection of East Merrick Road and Cornwell Avenue, are slated to be redone by the end of 2024.

Any columns supporting the length of the village’s elevated railway tracks from Hicks Street to Satterie Avenue will also be “taken care of as needed” by the projected deadline, noted MTA media liaison Dave Steckel.

To counter criticisms leveled at the Long Island Rail Road for failing to keep a close enough watch over the infrastructural soundness of the overpass bridges, Steckel said the Long Island Rail Road Engineering Department conducts annual inspections to ensure the structural safety and integrity of all elevated railways and bridges.

A more intensive systemwide assessment of its bridges and elevated railways, taken every ten years, is underway this year, the results of which “will inform the work required to complete the necessary Valley Stream viaduct repairs,” noted Steckel.

Valley Stream stations to get a lift

Wait. There’s more. Overhauls are being made, either now or shortly, to the village’s train stations.

“A state of good repair work” is being done to bring the village’s main elevated train station, long plagued with exposed rebar and rust, up to standard including concrete patchwork and steel repairs. Commuters can also expect to see a new elevator, escalator, and replaced canopy roof on the waiting platforms, though the build-out is still in the planning phase.

Conversely, construction to overhaul the Gibson train station has already begun. The overhauls to the waiting room station are “extensive,” and are expected to be completed by April 2024. The new features include:

• Repairing window trim around 2nd-floor windows.
• Painting the underside of all the soffit around the building.
• Replacing windows in the station waiting room.
• Repairing the station waiting room walls.
• Painting the station waiting room.
• Replacing exterior doors to the station.
• Repairing and painting canopy columns.
• Re-configuring waiting room bathroom to meet American Disabilities Act requirements.
• Installing an ADA ramp into the station building on the backside of the building.
• Installing new station signage.
• Tactile and structural platform work, including handrails.

The station will be closed until the work is completed. However, LIRR officials declined to comment on whether a temporary waiting shelter will be propped up in the interlude, to help commuters weather the approaching colder months.

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