The Main Street railroad crossing in Mineola was closed on Saturday, the eighth and final one as part of the Long Island Rail Road expansion project.
The crossing, like others throughout the area, is being rebuilt as a pedestrian overpass with elevators and is scheduled to open sometime later this spring. The elimination of the crossing was the latest on the LIRR’s Main Line as part of the project to add a third track from Floral Park to Hicksville.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced the closure of the Main Street crossing and said that it brought excessive train horn sounds into the homes of nearby residents and traffic backups. Safety has also been a concern with railroad crossings in general. Cuomo referred to an incident in 1982 when nine teenagers died when their van collided with a train at the former Herricks Road crossing in Mineola.
“New York’s economic growth depends on a modern and reliable transportation network to support the safe flow of people and goods across our state,” Cuomo said. “This marks a total of eight grade crossings removed on time and on budget since 2019 and is emblematic of our commitment to enhancing public safety, while also improving the quality of life for Long Islanders by reducing noise, air and traffic pollution.”
The closing of the Main Street crossing follows the closure of two other crossings at Willis Avenue on Nov. 30, 2020. The two Willis Avenue crossings are being rebuilt as an underpass and are scheduled to reopen in the fall, according to officials. In New Hyde Park, the Covert Avenue crossing closed and reopened as a pedestrian underpass in 2019. The New Hyde Park crossing took just over six months to transform into a pedestrian underpass. The South 12th Street crossing, which closed in late October, remains under construction before reopening as an underpass sometime this summer.
Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s Construction & Development President Janno Lieber touted Cuomo’s administration for the elimination of the grade crossings to aid in the expansion of the railroad system along with providing Long Islanders with more safety near trains.
“This project will save Long Islanders a huge amount of time and inconvenience, but – more important – it is actually saving lives,” Lieber said.
Long Island Rail Road President Phil Eng thanked the state for its efforts in pushing these projects along.
“Each crossing elimination represents one fewer potential point of interaction with roadway traffic,” Eng said. “It means enhanced safety and it also means enhanced reliability for our customers. This is all the more true on the busy main line, where train traffic is the most frequent.”
Other projects occurring as part of the railroad expansion include the renovation or rebuilding of several stations to add modern amenities. These include new benches, public Wi-Fi and better compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
