Coming soon: a smooth ride

Drivers on Beltagh Avenue soon won’t have to grip the steering wheel as tight. The small but well-traveled road in Wantagh will be getting a makeover this year, courtesy of the Town of Hempstead, which announced that the eastern portion of Beltagh Avenue will be repaved.

The 1,375-foot stretch of road runs from Wantagh Avenue to a dead end near the Wantagh Parkway. It serves the Wantagh High School-Middle School complex, the town’s animal shelter, Last Hope Animal Rescue and a pet cemetery.

Recently, the town filled in several large potholes on the street, which is covered in patches. The repaving project will include new curbs and new asphalt along the entire stretch of road.

The town will do the work in the summer, when there is far less traffic on the road. “It makes sense to wait until school is out,” said Susie Trenkle-Pokalsky, a Town of Hempstead spokeswoman. “If cars are coming in and out, you don’t want to disrupt that traffic flow.”

Town Supervisor Kate Murray said that she had conversations about the road with Wantagh Schools Superintendent Maureen Goldberg, who shared with Murray the sentiments of administrators, board members, staff, parents and students.

“We knew that they had some concerns,” Murray said. “Lots and lots of folks come down this relatively small roadway. It’s a well-worn road and now it needs a little sprucing up, and we’re happy to do it.”

Goldberg said she was pleased that the town came through quickly, and added that Murray was instrumental in having the road evaluated. The superintendent explained that the road remains in disrepair despite the pothole repairs and partial repaving work done over the years.

“Our students, who are novice drivers, as well as our staff and visitors have had to negotiate around the potholes, causing concern for the safety of all drivers, Goldberg said. “The repaving will provide a safer road for all. Ms. Murray has always been supportive of and responsive to the needs of our district and its residents, and once again her concern for the safety of our residents was evident.”

The project is expected to take a month to complete and cost about $325,000. The town board will also weigh removing No Parking signs on the south side of the street, at the request of parents.

Eva Ward, who uses the road twice a day to drop off and pick up her 11th-grader at school, says she can’t wait to see the road repaved. “The road has been a mess for quite some time now, but after this horrible winter it became a serious safety issue,” she said. “There were many extremely deep potholes and drivers were constantly swerving to avoid them, which is pretty dangerous on a busy and narrow two-way street.” 

Ward added that with many novice teen drivers using the street, there should not be additional hazards.

Alexus Argueta is one of those drivers. A junior who has been driving to school since January, she said it is welcome news that the road will be redone for her senior year. She said it is in terrible condition and the repaving project is overdue.

“Being a new driver, the condition of the road makes me nervous,” she said. “I am so afraid of having a blowout. I am really glad they are going to finally fix this.”

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