A number of Roslyn-area residents showed up at Roslyn High School last Tuesday to inquire about the proposed renovation of the Viaduct Bridge in the village, but few of them had anything to say for the public record. Representatives from the New York State Department of Transportation held an open forum at the high school nearly all day on Tuesday, June 26 for the purpose of both answering questions from local residents and to further make their case for the extensive $85 million bridge renovation project.

Joseph Scariza, regional design engineer for the DOT, said about 50 residents came in on the pleasant summer day to ask questions about the viaduct plan. He said their comments were "pretty position in general." Most people, he added, were just curious about the project, since local residents generally know what the DOT has planned for the viaduct.

Peter Loomis, a law judge for the DOT, said that the department remains interested in public input on the project before a final design report is completed. Even after that report is done, it will be available for public scrutiny. After that, the DOT will finalize the design and begin making construction plans.

Mr. Loomis said that the DOT came up with six alternatives when considering the future direction of the viaduct. One was to make no building renovations. The others recommended some renovation, including replacing the current viaduct itself, which became the course of action the DOT decided on taking. Mr. Scariza added that simply making "constant repairs" to the structure would be an inconvenience to the local community. Hence, it would be better to do a thorough renovation.

In his talk, Mr. Loomis did say that construction work may affect wetland areas around the viaduct, plus it may also involve some property acquistions, specifically land from properties along the length of the project corridor. The widths of the right-of-way acquisition vary with regard to each property lot, DOT officials maintain. The impacted property owners will receive monetary compensation for lost property. DOT officials stress that the new bridge does not impact any existing or proposed buildings along the project corridor.

What opposition there is to viaduct renovation has centered on such concerns. In a "preservation alert" issued recently under Roslyn Landmark Society letterhead, Donald Kavanagh, a Roslyn attorney, expressed concern over the survival of the Mott-Layton neighborhood, which sits near the viaduct. While noting that the neighborhood has made a comeback in recent years, Mr. Kavanagh claims that "if enough land is taken away from this neighborhood, then it won't be viable anymore." Noise levels and the survival of certain scenic vistas are other concerns held by local residents. In addition, they worry that the proposed widening and straightening of the western approach of the viaduct might substantially reduce or eliminate the narrow buffer of trees and shubbery that separate Mott Avenue from Northern Boulevard. Landmark Society people hope that the DOT will work to reduce the scale of the new viaduct in an effort to address its visual impact upon the historic district.

The DOT used the day to give additional reasons for viaduct renovation. DOT officials claim that the current bridge suffers from an "obsolete" two-girder system, a deteriorating paint system, deteriorating concrete decks, obsolete pin and hanger connections, inadequate acceleration lane length on the entrance ramp from Witte Lane, narrow sidewalks which are not ADA (American With Disabilities Act) compliant, a deteriorated roadway drainage system, and a deteriorated timber and steel bulkhead. In addition, the viaduct is 50 years old and has never undergone a major rehabilitation project.

Solutions to the current situation, including safety needs would be to guarantee a new 75-year service life to the viaduct, to create a multiple girder bridge structure system, a replaceable high-performance concrete wearing structure, to create a design in accordance with current design standards and one also in accordance with seismic (earthquake) design standards. Safety features of the new viaduct, DOT literature said, would include wider lanes to accommodate new bridge shoulders, the addition of acceleration and deceleration lanes and ramps, ADA-compliant sidewalks, concrete roadway barriers and a steel sidewalk railway, and "aesthetically pleasing" roadway lights.

So far, DOT officials believe bridge construction will begin in either 2003 or 2004. It will last for 30 months and come at a cost of approximately $85 million. All along, DOT officials have stated that the project will not adversely affect local traffic. In order to minimize disruption of traffic flow, the viaduct is being replaced utilizing staged construction. During bridge construction, four lanes of traffic (two in each direction) will be maintained at all peak travel times. DOT officials admit that occasional single lane closures during off-peak travel hours will be required.