LIRR Mainline Third Track Project

[MattAmity90]

Can they fit 3 tracks under the Grand Ave overpass in Westbury / New Cassel?

I looked at a photo taken by Edward Hand of the Westbury accident from Ellison Avenue, and there is ample room in my opinion. Although they said during the project, they will be replacing (aside from Wantagh Parkway) almost all bridges.

47179969502_83b8c88506_z.jpg

[Head-end View]

Two other bridges in Westbury were replaced in recent years, Post Ave. and Ellison Ave. They were done with room for the third track, so that's already done. The Wantagh pkwy. bridge built in 1938 already has three tracks under it, including Mainline 1 & 2, and an electrified siding on the north side, part of the Hicksville yard complex. I believe that siding will become the third track in that area.

Also the new Mineola Blvd. overpass in Mineola was built with an extra bay for the additional track and the Herricks Rd. bridge also has three tracks already. And I think the Roslyn Rd. bridge has room too.

[LB]

I'm not sure on the Grand Ave bridge replacement. When they replace the Tanner's Pond Road bridge, I hope they widen the road. That one lane underpass is pretty tight.

[MattAmity90]

I actually took a look from another Edward Hand photo, they are removing embankment in between the Grand Avenue bridge and the School Street grade crossing. As soon as they remove the Earth around there, it should be clear that a third track can easily fit underneath. At Urban Avenue they are auguring the ground and pile driving steel beams into the ground. The steel piles are about as tall as the power poles along the tracks, although I don't know if that's before or after they are in the ground.

[MACTRAXX]

I realize it's too far along to consider this now but can't help wonder if any thought was given to relocating the Carle Place station 1/4 mile to the west.
If the platform bridged Meadowbrook Parkway (overpass has to be replaced anyway), it would give direct pedestrian access from the station to Glen Cove Rd and Roosevelt Field while maintaining access to the neighborhood. The storm basin could have added some parking too.

PH:
Relocating Carle Place to the west towards the Meadowbrook Parkway bridge and Glen Cove Road
was not considered most likely for these reasons:

1-There would be little if any significant amount of parking available either at the warehouse store
site south of the tracks between those two roads and access to any new parking that could have
been constructed by using the sump just east of the MP bridge would require using local streets
off Cherry Lane through the surrounding residential neighborhood. An extra study likely may have
been needed to find if any flood or water disposal problems would have resulted by taking away
at least part of the sump for parking. NIMBY opposition from the neighborhood would have been
another problem that may be encountered with any station relocation of this type.

2-The Meadowbrook Parkway Bridge was designed with an angle on the south side for a long ago
removed siding which began at the bridge. Adding the additional track would either require this
existing bridge to be modified to add a "wedge" for the third track - or the construction of a new
single track bridge for the new track across the MP. Outright replacement of the MP bridge is not
necessary for the current tracks running across the bridge.

3-There would have to be pedestrian walkways and overpasses constructed to allow any kind of
direct access to the Roosevelt Field area south of Old Country Road. In case you are unaware the
adjacent intersection of Old Country Road and Glen Cove Road has the highest volume of vehicle
traffic use in Nassau County and is one of the busiest intersections on all of Long Island.
The main entrance to Roosevelt Field and the adjacent Meadowbrook Parkway interchange
only adds to the traffic volume in that vicinity along with other outside shopping centers.

I have used Carle Place Station on an occasional basis and have walked to the Roosevelt Field
area many times - crossing Old Country Road on foot is the most risky part of that route.
The NICE N22 bus uses Cherry Lane with stops at the west end of the Carle Place Station.
In closing keeping the Carle Place Station in its current location is the best available option.

MACTRAXX

[Norton]

MACTRAXX:
There is no Church Ave. in Carle Place. Could you be referring to Cherry Lane?

[MACTRAXX]

MACTRAXX:
There is no Church Ave. in Carle Place. Could you be referring to Cherry Lane?

N-You caught my typo here-I was thinking about another Church Avenue - namely in Brooklyn
for some reason. From checking both of my Hagstrom's Atlases for both Nassau and Suffolk
Counties there is only one Church Avenue in each county: In the Woodmere-Cedarhurst area
and in Islip (Hamlet) south of Montauk Highway respectively.

Cherry Lane it is in Carle Place...MACTRAXX

[MattAmity90]

Went into Long Island yesterday to pay my last respects to my paternal grandparents and then went for a round-trip/off-peak from Ronkonkoma to Penn Station. As my train (11:12 AM) flew down the Main Line, as we were expressing through Carle Place two things were taking shape:

-New Platform A on the Western half is being constructed.
-New Cherry Lane bridge was on site.

It seems that during the last weekend in April or first weekend in May, then ahead of time there will be no service between Hicksville and Mineola because they will replace the Cherry Lane bridge. I saw it, it is on a scissor lift fully assembled.

When we expressed through Westbury, the concrete piers that supported the damaged section of the WB platform are still laying on the embankment horizontally. Track 1 was out of service from QUEENS to NASSAU because of resurfacing and addition of new ballast at the Covert Avenue crossing as elimination continues.

[LB]

As of early May 2019, it seems like Covert and Urban Avenue no longer exist as Railroad Crossings, is this the case? I see no evidence of Railroad Crossing signals at either location.

[Head-end View]

True at Urban Ave. And on the north side the ramp down to the underpass is already excavated.

[nyandw]

As of early May 2019, it seems like Covert and Urban Avenue no longer exist as Railroad Crossings, is this the case? I see no evidence of Railroad Crossing signals at either location.

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New Hyde Park - Covert Avenue underpass construction View N 5/02/2019 All Photos/Archive: Sunny Zheng

I'm trying to "keep track" of items as I find them...

[MattAmity90]

It is true that both Covert Avenue and Urban Avenue are no longer grade crossings. At both locations the signals have been ripped out, and obviously stated above they have excavated heavily on the North side of Urban, and the South side is seeing the same. The heavy excavation at Covert has begun, and they are making great time. At the bottom of the pits it stops at a steel wall where they will tunnel underneath after they put in the bridge or however they are going to do it since it will be a tunnel at both locations. These two projects are slated to be completed by the end of the year, and then they will start elimination of School Street and New Hyde Park Road. NHP Road is being prepped, construction equipment is present, new traffic patterns are being instituted, and cones have been set up.

-Get all your pictures of 12th Street, NHP Road, Main Street, Willis Avenue, and School Street while you can. Those crossings' days are numbered railfans, and unlike Herricks Road and the elevation of the Babylon Branch there will be NO SHOO-FLY/TEMPORARY TRACKS!

[njtmnrrbuff]

Here is a picture that I took last Monday 4/29 of an eastbound LIRR M3 Set departing Mineola Station as it is about to cross Main Street with Nassau Tower in the background. Yes, down the road in the short term, this view will change a lot but it will be for the better from a business perspective. Of course, the years of the M3s are also winding down too. What will happen to Nassau Tower once the third track is installed?

[LINYARailfan]

Here is a picture that I took last Monday 4/29 of an eastbound LIRR M3 Set departing Mineola Station as it is about to cross Main Street with Nassau Tower in the background. Yes, down the road in the short term, this view will change a lot but it will be for the better from a business perspective. Of course, the years of the M3s are also winding down too. What will happen to Nassau Tower once the third track is installed?

Yes Covert Avenue and Urban Avenue have officially been permanently closed as grade crossings as the construction of building under the road has commenced.
As for Nassau Tower,
Since the tower stands exactly where the third track is going to be built the tower will need to be demolished in order to make way for construction of the third track. Some have suggested rather than demolishing the tower, lifting the tower off its foundation and moving the tower 180' south from where it currently stands and creating a museum along with other historic LIRR equipment. According to the LIRR third track website this crossing and Willis Avenue will be the last crossings to be eliminated so don't worry you still have time to enjoy Nassau Tower but, enjoy Nassau Tower while it is still in operation cause it will eventually be in its final days of operation.

[njtmnrrbuff]

I have a few trips planned to Nassau County these next few months primarily to get the M3s running before they retire. It's possible that I might make a trip back to Mineola or another place along between Floral Park and Hicksville. When will the tower be moved or demolished?

That would be great if they made Nassau Tower into a museum. It seems like it is a good historical piece. The tower should go to some museum.