November Start May Be Ambitious for Jackson Ave.

The agreement between Nassau County and the Town of Oyster Bay to finally get the Jackson Avenue Improvement Project going set the stage for work to begin in November.

But political deals don't always account for the minutiae involved in actually getting a shovel in the ground. While Town officials say they're working as fast as they can, they don't want to appease residents by meeting a short-term deadline at the expense of the road's long-term success.

"My direction is full steam ahead," says Matt Russo of the Town Department of Public Works engineering division. "But with a multimillion dollar project you don't want to rush things."

The Town is working with Mineola engineering Sidney B. Bowne & Son to revise the plans initially drawn up by the county before the deal transferred responsibility for the road to the Town of Oyster Bay. Russo says there are some still some significant issues to be looked at. 

"The road that had been designed was over-designed for what our data shows the road will have to handle," Russo says. "We're also looking at side streets and possible drainage issues at intersections. Once the road is built, we want to be sure we don't create any problems during a rain event." 

Russo is hoping that the design work will be done by the end of September. That would lead to a vote by the Town of Oyster Bay Council, which generally meets twice a month. If the design is passed near the beginning of October, groundbreaking still could take place in November. 

When the design is approved, the bidding process will ensue. The job will be advertised for two to three weeks, and offers will be analyzed before a winner is chosen. 

The bidding process is estimated at 45 days, which means the earliest a builder would be chosen is mid-November.

"A lot of stuff has to happen [to meet the November goal]," says Marta Kane, a spokesperson with the Town of Oyster Bay. "It's a target date we're hoping to meet. The weather has to cooperate, too."

Kane understands why people might be dissatisfied with any kind of delay.

"The Town recognizes that people are very anxious," Kane says. "This road has been a long time coming, and we'll expedite it as quickly as possible."