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One of America's Scariest Roads Inks $80 Million Deal to Increase Capacity, Enhance Safety

Drivers unfortunate enough to have to commute on New York's Interstate 495, better known as the Long Island Expressway, are subjected to a daily torture regimen of reckless drivers, pot-hole cratered roadways, endless traffic jams, and hideous accidents.
Long Island Expressway 6 photos
Photo: Newsday
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Finally, after years of non-stop chaos, it appears help is on the way. New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced a new construction plan to enhance safety and ease congestion worth over $80 million. The LIE is a road that’s been battered by years of the hustle and bustle that comes with such close proximity to New York City.

Apart from the obvious side effects of a road so perpetually overstressed, the LIE has become a safe haven for illicit substance distributors in recent years. Thus, leading to the dubious nickname of "The Heroin Highway."

The latest influx of money from the State of New York will tackle several significant safety concerns that have largely gone unanswered for decades. The first order of business is to add three auxiliary lanes between 48th Street and Little Neck Parkway in Queens.

A section of the Interstate is often choked by gargantuan car accidents and resulting traffic jams. That project alone will account for $19.7 million of the initiative's overall budget.

Other improvements will come in the form of an exit and entrance ramp extension by approximately 370 feet in sections of the Borough of Queens, which the LIE stretches through. These are intended for motorists who don’t have the luxury of launching their Nissan GTR down short entrance ramps designed for cars built in the late 50s.

Further safety improvements come in the form of traffic impact attenuators (crash cushions) designed to reduce collision damage to structures. But also the installation of new guide rails or concrete barriers with reflective markers at each new acceleration, deceleration, and auxiliary lane location.

“New York State is committed to building back our infrastructure to create a more resilient transportation network that meets the demands of the 21st century and allows our communities to flourish.” Said Governor Hochul in her press announcement for the project. If successful, it will be a great confidence booster as New York State gears for its next gubernatorial election in 2022.
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