City Finally Repaving Vanderbilt Motor Parkway In Eastern Queens

BAYSIDE, QUEENS — The long-awaited resurfacing of one of the country’s first paved roads is finally underway.

The NYC Parks Department began the Vanderbilt Motor Parkway resurfacing project — which it had planned to reconstruct since 2017, according to agency records — on Wednesday April 28.

Once the two-phase project is completed, the entire length of the parkway, which runs through Alley Pond and Cunningham Park will be refurbished with new asphalt and new steel guard rails, according to a news release.

The first phase of construction, which just began and involves resurfacing between Winchester and Springfield boulevards, was initially slated for completion in fall of this year, reported Patch, but was delayed amid the pandemic.

The second phase of construction, which will complete the parkway reconstruction from Springfield Boulevard to 199th Street, was also delayed amid the pandemic, and is currently under review, according to the parks department website.

The ground breaking ceremony last Wednesday was led by NYC Parks Borough Commissioner Michael Dockett and Queens community leaders, including City Council Member Barry Grodenchik, who represents Queens District 23 where the parkway is located.

At the ceremony, Council Member Grodenchik described the parkway as “in desperate need of an upgrade,” adding that this resurfacing “will allow families, children, and seniors to safely enjoy a range of activities on this historic thoroughfare.”

When construction on the project was officially announced, nearly six months ago, Grodenchik, said that the pandemic "has highlighted the need for safe outdoor space all across the city, and this resurfacing will ensure that eastern Queens residents have access to a high-quality open-air recreation venue for decades to come."

The entire project, which costs over $5 million dollars, is funded by the Council Member and Mayor Bill de Blasio.

The parkway, also called the Long Island Motor Parkway, was built in 1908 as America's first all-elevated road designed exclusively for cars, but then repurposed as a piece of public parkland for outdoor recreation after it closed to cars in 1938.

Queens Borough President Donovan Richards, Jr., who also attended the ground breaking, said that the project “will give Queens residents access to more of the recreational space that is so vital to our quality-of-life,” including bicyclists and pedestrians.

Phase one of the reconstruction is slated to be completed by September 2021, according to the parks department.