One of the most ambitious renovation projects in the North Shore area-the restoration of the Roslyn Viaduct Bridge-is moving closer to a construction date, even though it still is a long way off.

New York State Department of Transportation officials, working in conjunction with local officials and residents, have approved the design phase of the project. The next step is drawing up the details of the final design. Once that is completed, construction should begin six months later.

Matt Hoffman, design supervisor with the DOT, said his agency is committed to starting construction "sometime in 2004." The DOT estimates that the entire construction project will last a good 30 months.

DOT officials and members of a task force, which includes current and former elected officials from Roslyn plus village residents, met last week at the Village Hall on Old Northern Boulevard to discuss several pending issues, such as lighting possibilities and having a railing bridge on the viaduct while construction is ongoing.

"We're moving ahead," Mr. Hoffman said. "We're continuing to meet on a regular basis with members of the Roslyn community. The meetings have been very productive. Everyone is working toward a common goal: A structure we can all be proud of."

The renovation is simply a matter of addressing certain problems with the current bridge: Its age, its "outmoded" design, and the necessity of maintaining its long-term structural integrity. The bridge was first constructed in the late 1940s. The DOT has estimated that the total cost of the project will be in the $60 to $80 million range.

Renovation will include, among other things, a concrete board construction for the bridge's driving lanes. In the meantime, the DOT plans to build two additional lanes in order to keep four lanes open at all times during the renovation process. The DOT has also considered the possibility of building a pedestrian walkway on the bridge.

For the past several years, both elected officials and local civic groups have been involved in the restoration project. A key issue, of course, is the traffic flow once the construction begins. Village officials had suggested a ramp on West Shore Road to help alleviate the traffic situation. However, DOT officials have doubted the effectiveness of such a plan. Plus, they considered the ramp project too costly.

The village task force on the project has also discussed the problem of temporary water drainage taking place on the bridge, a situation that can lead to hazardous driving conditions. The cost of such a drainage system was estimated at $2 million, which the task force eventually decided was also too much.

While the task force has worked with DOT officials on the plan, the Roslyn Preservation Corporation has expressed concerns over the impact of the project on the Mott Avenue-Layton Street neighborhood, which sits in the shadow of the bridge.

Preservation officials have said that the proposed widening and straightening of the western approach along Northern Boulevard will substantially reduce or eliminate the narrow buffer of trees and shrubbery which separate Mott Avenue from Northern Boulevard.

They also claim that a larger viaduct will straddle "several important scenic vistas and block views of [Hempstead] Harbor and the waterfront." In recent years, the Mott-Layton neighborhood, preservation officials add, has made a comeback of sorts. But now, they feel the gains of the past decade are imperiled by the viaduct renovation plan. "If enough land is taken away from this neighborhood, then it won't be viable anymore," said Donald Kavanagh, a preservation corporation member.

However, Roslyn residents who are members of the task force have said that recommendations were made to save as many trees and vegetation as possible in the West End of the Mott-Layton neighborhood.

Konrad Klauer, a member of the task force has said that new support columns will not have a negative effect on scenic vistas. In addition, the renovation project would include a new park for the area that will be the future home of the Forest City Daly senior housing development and a "continuous green area" from the Grist Mill to the Daly housing area.