Government

Widening of Main Street in Greenport gets underway

Work on the widening of Main Street in Greenport Village got underway last week and is expected to continue for several more weeks, according to village administrator Paul Pallas.

“The estimate for Main Street? We’re probably looking at two to three more weeks on the concrete work and then when that’s done, we’ll get a firm schedule on the pavement work,” he said.

The pavement work won’t begin until all the concrete work, such as sidewalks and drains, is complete, he said.

The village plans to pave all of Main Street, from Front Street north to the intersection with First Street, he said.

The high-profile portion of the work is the widening of Main Street between Bay and Central avenues so that vehicles will be able to fit through more easily.

Officials say there have been a number of minor collisions, such as a car hitting another car’s rear-view mirror, because there’s not enough room for two cars on that section of road.

The plan is to widen that section by 22 inches, which will come out of the eastern portion of the Main Street sidewalks.

Mr. Pallas said that while the remaining sidewalk will be shorter, its width will still comply with Americans with Disabilities Act requirements to accommodate a wheelchair.

The village removed several trees toward the end of last week and had to reroute Main Street traffic to Carpenter Street during that time, Mr. Pallas said. The need to reroute traffic should only be done sporadically as needed, he said. While most of the Main Street sidewalk work is on the eastern side of the road, some portions of the western side, which are in bad shape, also will be replaced, Mr. Pallas said.

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Photo: Main Street roadwork in Greenport last Thursday. (Credit: Kelly Zegers)