Union Turnpike bridge rehabilitation

[R36 Combine Coach]

The new round of NYSDOT rail improvement grants includes a $2.8 million rehabilitation of LIRR's Union Turnpike bridge. I'm assuming this is the Montauk Branch and if the Montauk Branch west of Jamaica is now NYA jurisdiction, why is the project through LIRR? I heard no plans for reconstruction here, and the girder overpass is in quite decent condition.

[DogBert]

Could be the mainline, where the Interboro/Jackie parkway is.

LIRR still owns all the NY&A property, bridges, etc. There agreement is probably really specific where NY&A maintains the track & LIRR does everything else.

[andrewjw]

If the Union Turnpike / Interboro Parkway bridge was built around the same time as the Lefferts Blvd bridge it would make sense to overhaul both at the same time.

[interface76]

The mainline bridge with Union Turnpike and the Jackie Robinson (Interboro) Parkway is a highway overpass though, and also has two high-rise condo buildings attached to it (they sold the air rights to it some time ago), one on the Forest Hills side and one on the Kew Gardens side. Removing/rehabbing that bridge would be an astounding feat of engineering at this point. That all said, it's a road bridge (that carries the two congruous routes) over the tracks so should more likely show up on a NYCDOT Highway report.

I think it has to be the girder bridge that carries the Lower Montauk over Union Turnpike near Stop & Shop (the old bottling warehouse). Which (as I walk beneath it regularly), indeed is puzzling as I always thought it looked like it was in pretty solid shape!

[adamj023]

The bridge that is in need of repair is the mainline bridge which has cracked concrete just like the other kew gardens bridge which will be repaired as well. The Montauk line bridge does not have any major structural issues. It is a height restrictive bridge. No additional trackage unlike the Post Avenue bridge for instance is needed at this location and it is a lower priority to replace this bridge than the mainline bridge repair which sees high road and rail traffic each day.

Glad to see they finally got funding for this project. The other Kew Gardens bridge repair project is already funded and the start of the project should be announced soon. The Kew Gardens Interchange project is still in the third phase of construction right now,

You can see the cracked concrete for the mainline bridge on google streetview. If you look at the other projects listed, they indeed consist of rail and road bridges. One in Oneida is listed as a rail and highway bridge and you can see the cost is much less than the Union Turnpike project.

It will be bad for traffic as road closures exist while work is underway but the work is necessary and is in line with all other construction projects in the area.

I personally was wondering myself when work was going to be done.

And yes I am also aware of the two non used railbridges for the old non used line they want to make into a Park or reactivate which also is on Union Turnpike, Those bridges look like they are structurally stable as well and they still haven’t decided what they will do with those as far as I know.

Ok so I checked the LIRR Capital Dashboard and the repairs for the Union Turnpike bridge Montauk line were already funded for in advance combined with the Springfield blvd project for 7.4 million and that project is underway and schedules for completion early next year which I guess is why bridge looks good as most of the work has been done already. I saw the bridge after most of the work seemed to be done and it looks good. This 2.8 million is dedicated funds for the Union Turnpike bridge which has not even begun so it is definitely a seperate project for a different Union Turnpike bridge and my opinion is repairs to the bridgedeck on the Union Turnpike for the mainline.

[BuddR32]

If you look at the google maps view of the mainline at this area (Union Tpke/Interboro) there is a single M7 car on the mainline under the 80th Rd bridge (next south/easterly bridge) Just one of the satellite image oddities I suppose

[interface76]

So, the verdict for this project was indeed the Lower Montauk girder bridge over Union Turnpike in Forest Hills (right by the Stop & Shop and Forest View Crescent high-rise).

Work commenced on it this week - the outer lanes on either side of the Turnpike have been blocked off by Jersey Barriers and work equipment is entrenching underneath.

Again, as I said at the time, quite surprised at this being deemed necessary, as that bridge has always looked pretty solid!