Long Island Motor Parkway Bridge Series: #28 Westbury Avenue Motor Parkway/Trolley Bridge
The 28th bridge in the series documenting the 60 bridges built by the Long Island Motor Parkway is the parkway/trolley bridge over Westbury Avenue on the bordering of Mineola and Carle Place.
Enjoy,
Howard Kroplick
Update: January 4, 2013
Mineola Patch
Bruce Terrace Flood Project Breaks Ground
North Hempstead, Mineola and Nassau officials join together for groundbreaking.
By Geoffrey Walter
The Town of North Hempstead broke ground on their portion of the flood mitigation project for the areas around Bruce Terrace on the old Motor Parkway property in Mineola on Thursday morning.
At a meeting of the Mineola Village Board on January 2 at the village hall, superintendent of public works Tom Rini said that the village is ready to accept the dirt excavated from the project, noting that he held a meeting with town representatives and the village’s engineers on Christmas Eve to review the process.
“We’re ready board, and they’ve already started moving some of the topsoil,” he said to the trustees.
The award letter for the village’s portion of the project was sent out on January 3 with the village’s contractor starting immediately “because there is coordination between the two contractors so we’ll get them right in there,” Rini said.
The project is a collaborative effort between the village, the Town of North Hempstead and Nassau County. New York State Sen. Jack Martins was able to obtain state funds for the project, leading to the three-way agreement. Land use agreements were signed between the town and village allowing excavated material to be brought across Westbury Avenue onto village property on the south to help build the bifurcation wall and build up the basin for the drainage pipes, Rini said.
“That coordination meeting has already happened and like I said, they have just started moving soil and that’s what they’ll do.”
After removing the topsoil it will be brought across the roadway. Workers will then conduct water mane work in the Carle Place Water District where a dead end water mane between Dow Avenue and Fairfield Avenue that the village granted an easement upon has to be adjusted.
“There’s some preliminary work before they really get into digging the basin,” Rini said. “It is getting started.”
Martins joined Mineola Mayor Scott Strauss, Town of North Hempstead Supervisor Jon Kaiman, Nassau Legis. Richard Nicolello and Town of North Hempstead Councilwoman Viviana Russell at the groundbreaking ceremony.
1909 Survey
This survey shows the area where the Motor Parkway bridge was built in 1909.
1909 Construction Photos (From the Clinton Robertson Long Island Motor Parkway Photo Album)
Making bridge fill south of the bridge.
Form work. Note the tracks.
Note the approaching trolley and the absence of Westbury Avenue.
1914 Belcher-Hyde Map
As shown in this 1914 map, Westbury Avenue did not exist when the Motor Parkway was built. The bridge was built at this location to go over the trolley tracks for New York & North Shore Traction Company.
A typical railway car for New York and North Shore Traction Company. The trolley line connected Flushing, Whitestone, Bayside, Great Neck, Manhasset, Port Washington, Roslyn, Mineola, Westbury and Hicksville.
1928 Motor Parkway Atlas
The notations on the Motor Parkway Atlas indicated the "parkway" bridge over N.Y. & N.S.T. Co. with directions to Mineola and Hicksville.
1938 Aerial
The bridge over Westbury Avenue can be seen in this blurry 1938 aerial. Note: The 300-foot embankments.
1950 Aerial
This aerial shows the Motor Parkway from Jericho Turnpike to Old Country Road, 12 years after it closed. The bridge over Westbury Avenue was long gone.
March 2012 Views
Looking north from Westbury Avenue, a section of the bridge embankment still exists
On top of the embankment, remnants of the Motor Parkway pavement and concrete still exist.
A view looking south to Westbury Avenue approximately 8 feet above grade.
Three-foot concrete extensions are still present on both sides of the original 16-foot road.
A view from grade level.
December 28, 2012 Views
This area has been in the news due to efforts to provide flood mitigation to residents of Bruce Terrace.
January 3, 2013
Town Supervisor Jon Kaiman, State Senator Jack Martins, Mayor Scott Strauss of Mineola, Councilwoman Viviana Russell, Legislator Michael Venditto joined contractors and residents for a ground-breaking ceremony for the flood mitigation basin near the Motor Parkway right-of-way.
Good News: The Motor Parkway remnants will remain untouched. Moreover, an access road will be a available for possible use in the development of the Motor Parkway Trail
Update: May 1, 2013
The storm basin has been built north of Westbury Road.
Remnants of the Motor Parkway remain undisturbed, north of the basin.
Comments
Howard - good news. Have they committed to not disturbing the posts on the north side of Westbury Avenue?
Art, I was informed that the Motor Parkway remnants in this area will not be distrubed.
Again, good news. I drove to the site yesterday and saw the post outside of the fence surrounding the construction area.
I beg to differ - Westbury Avenue *MUST* have existed, at least on paper, or Willie would NEVER have allowed for it in the bridge design. Two lanes PLUS tracks - NO WAY! Doubting Thomas (a.k.a. Sam, III)
Sam, At the time the Parkway built the bridge the western terminus of Westbury Ave. was at Glen Cove Rd. There was however the trolley line of the N.Y & N.S Traction Co.in place, that is why the bridge was built. Realizing or, possibly told a roadway was eminent, the Parkway built the bridge with three openings.