Legislature Vote OKs Jackson Avenue Road Work

Years of contentiousness and frustration were replaced Thursday by happy souls posing for photos in between laughter, as officials cleared the final major hurdle before breaking ground on the long-awaited Jackson Avenue Improvement Project.

In a unanimous vote, the Nassau County Legislature approved an inter-municipal agreement which transfers control of the road from the county to the Town of Oyster Bay. The Town will now accept bids for the road work, which the county will contribute $3 million toward. 

"This is momentous because the road is so dangerous...this is going to save lives," Legis. Judy Jacobs (D-Woodbury) said. 

The Jackson Avenue Improvement Project includes creating a center turn lane, fixing curbs and sidewalks and realigning the road, which is traveled by 20,000 vehicles daily. It is the main thoroughfare heading north in Syosset after the Seaford-Oyster Bay Expressway terminates at Jericho Turnpike. 

After years of political haggling over the road, funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act looked to put the road work on the fast track last year. But federal red tape stalled the project. A deal between the county and Town appeared to solve the problem and produce a June groundbreaking. But the Town decided to scrap the county blueprints and come up with its own plan since it was taking control of the road.

 "This has taken a long time, but boy, are we happy about it," said Laura Schultz, vice president of Residents for a More Beautiful Syosset, who was joined by several members of her organization.

Jacobs also took time to single out Marc Herbst, executive director of the Long Island Contractors' Association, who has been a vocal proponent of getting the project started as soon as possible to benefit his financially strapped industry. 

Town officials have previously said that they expected a November groundbreaking if there were no further delays.