The Village of Great Neck Plaza is making final preparations for bid documents for the Shoreward-Welwyn transportation enhancement project, officials said last Wednesday, potentially putting the delayed project in motion later this year.
This $1 million project, first introduced about two years ago, aims to make the area more pedestrian and bicyclist friendly, create safer streets and help revitalize the area. Originally it had an expected completion date of November 2017.
At the Wednesday meeting, Great Neck Plaza Mayor Jean Celender said officials anticipate that the village will need to advertise for bids by March 1 to give potential contractors three weeks to review the proposals.
Among some of the features would be shared lane pavement marking so people are more aware of cyclists, a public plaza in front of the post office, pedestrian refuge islands and new sidewalks and curbing.
It was originally estimated to cost $1,047,500, but village Clerk-Treasurer Patricia O’Byrne said officials raised their estimates to $1,094,700 to account for rising prices over time.
O’Byrne said the primary reason for the delays has been a back and forth with the state Department of Transportation about approval of various items, which she said is a “very, very involved” process.
The village expects to get $726,160 from the state for construction costs, she added.
While the exact completion date is not clear because the village is still in the process of soliciting bids and contractors, O’Byrne said she believes it could be a relatively quick project.
“I don’t foresee it going past next fiscal year, which is going to start March 1,” she said.
