Thursday, October 1, 2026
A long-awaited improvement project along State Route 878 -— the Nassau Expressway -— in the Village of Lawrence is underway, with new pavement, landscaping and accessibility upgrades coming to one of the community’s busiest roadways.
The village received a $150,000 state grant from State Sen. Patricia Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick to help fund the beautification and repaving of a section of Route 878, a project village officials suggested will improve the safety, appearance and quality of life for residents and motorists.
The improvements will extend throughout the village, from Burnside Avenue toward the Atlantic Beach Bridge, Lawrence officials said. Construction began in early June, with completion expected by October.
Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick joined Lawrence Mayor Samuel Nahmias and Village Administrator Gerry Castro on Route 878 to announce the project and highlight the importance of cooperation between different levels of government, on July 23.
“Here we are on 878 in the Village of Lawrence, and I’m so honored to stand here with the Village of Lawrence’s mayor, Sam Nahmias,” Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick said. “Thank you, Mayor, for helping us get this project done and improve an area that is in desperate need of improvement.”
The senator said the funding represents an investment in the community and will address long-standing concerns about the roadway.
“I know the residents are going to be grateful when this section of the road is repaved, and I’m so proud that we brought state dollars to this area,” she said.
The project includes repaving the roadway, improving ramps to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act, adding landscaping and planting trees to create a more attractive corridor for residents and visitors.
Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick said the project is an example of what can happen when local and state officials work together.
“We definitely need all levels of government to cooperate, communicate and get the job done,” she said. “I’m very blessed to have partners in government like the mayor, and I’m grateful to everybody at the village that’s helping get this done.”
Nahmias said the project marks another major step in the village’s ongoing efforts to beautify Lawrence and improve infrastructure.
“I want to thank you, senator. This is a tremendous contribution,” Nahmias said. “This work involves starting the process of beautifying with the trees, fixing the ramps, making it ADA compliant, and then obviously redoing the roads, which are in desperate need, as you can see.”
The mayor said the roadway improvements will continue a larger vision for enhancing village streetscapes, similar to previous improvements completed on Rock Hall Road.
“This is a continuation, to some degree, of what we’ve done on Rock Hall Road,” Nahmias said. “Those projects helped us repave Rock Hall Road, add beautification to it and improve the lighting.”
Last year, the village previously received funding from other levels of government for Rock Hall Road improvements, including a county grant that helped add a sidewalk, making it easier for residents to walk through the community.
“Everybody loves that sidewalk,” Nahmias said. “They have the ability to walk further down. Imagine if you had a sidewalk here and you could walk down. This is something the Village of Lawrence residents have wanted for a very long time.”
Nahmias said the Route 878 project will provide residents with an opportunity to better enjoy the natural beauty surrounding the roadway.
“They love the green. They want to be able to enjoy the green,” he said. “Now we’re giving them an opportunity to do so.”
The mayor also credited the senator’s support in helping bring the project to fruition.
“The senator is bridging communities together,” Nahmias said. “We want to make Lawrence back to being beautiful again.”
Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick added that additional landscaping along the roadway will provide screening for nearby residents and create a more pleasant travel experience.
“There are a lot of pieces to this project that are going to make this area a much more pleasant travel between the areas up north and getting down to the bridge,” she said. “It’s going to be a much more enjoyable ride for everybody who experiences 878.”
Castro said the project will complete a larger corridor of improvements throughout the village, connecting recently completed work.
“It actually coincides and meets up with both Rock Hall and Broadway, which was done last year by the county,” Castro said. “It’s like you’re completing one large project.”
Nahmias said the upgrades demonstrate the importance of collaboration between municipalities and government partners.
“It’s all about being helped by all levels of government — state government, county government,” he said. “We’re a village, and we have to work with our fellow members in government in larger offices.”
Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick said the partnership with Lawrence reflects the goal of using government resources to make meaningful improvements for residents.
“The collaboration is what’s so important,” she said. “There’s funding, there’s managing the project, and there’s having the vision to know what the community needs. It’s great to see all levels of government working to improve this community.”
