Today at 1:15 p.m., on the eve of Earth Day, LIRR officials will lead a behind-the-scenes media tour of three climate change resiliency projects on the Long Beach Branch – which was badly damaged during Superstorm Sandy and continues to be at higher risk of climate-related problems due to its coastal location.

 

The projects – to add climate resiliency to a bridge, substations, and power, signal and communications cabling – are designed to minimize the risks of coastal flooding, storm surges and other climate-related problems that may occur in the future.  They’re among more than 40 other climate adaptation resiliency projects that have been completed or are underway at all MTA agencies, which also include Metro-North Railroad, New York City Transit (including subways, buses and Staten Island Railway), and Bridges & Tunnels.

 

Three projects are being shown today:

 

A $53 million project to replace three substations on the Long Beach Branch.  The new substations will be raised and resilient to floodwaters.  The tour will visit the completed substation at “Oil City” in Oceanside, including the interior of the structure.  The entire project is more than 80 percent complete.

 

A $65 million project to replace and harden the switches, signals, communications and third rail equipment along the Long Beach Branch.  The tour will examine equipment that has been raised above flood levels in Island Park.  This project is about halfway complete.

 

This $13 million project is replacing and hardening the bridge electrical system, underwater cabling and and the emergency generator for the LIRR's Wreck Lead Bridge over Reynolds Channel. The project is about 75 percent complete.

 

 

WHO:        LIRR project officials

WHEN:      TODAY, Friday, April 21, 2017 at 1:15 p.m.

 

WHERE:     Meet at Long Beach LIRR Station.  Tour will proceed to Wreck Lead Bridge in Island Park, then “Oil City” substation in Oceanside

CONTACT: Shams Tarek, starek@mtahq.org or 917-903-2532