Flushing's $7.8 Million Sidewalk Widening Is Complete

QUEENS – Holding a gathering on a crowded downtown Flushing sidewalk would have been impossible a year ago, City Councilman Peter Koo joked as he prepared to cut the ribbon on the neighborhood's new sidewalks

But a $7.8 million pavement-widening project allowed Koo to do just that Monday on the corner of Main Street and Roosevelt Avenue. The unveiled walkways boast up to nine feet of extra space. at one of New York City's busiest pedestrian hubs, Koo said.

"After more than a year of construction in the busiest transportation hub in Queens, we are extremely excited to announce that the Main Street reconstruction and sidewalk widening is finally finished," he said.

Koo represents the city council's 20th district, which includes downtown Flushing, Murray Hill and Queensboro Hill. The public transportation and crowds that flow through downtown Flushing, a citywide transportation hub with traffic second only to Times Square, are a big part of what drives his district's economy, Koo said.

It was Main Street's first reconstruction in more than 20 years and affected the walkways between 38th and 41st avenues. The original sidewalks had been far too narrow to accommodate the thousands of people who commute to Flushing daily in buses, trains and cars, Koo said.

"We’re pleased that the sidewalks have been widened and that we can get back to doing what we do best, which is create the most dynamic business community in New York," he said.

Main Street was reconstructed and resurfaced from curb to curb in the $7.8 million project collaboration with the Department of Design and Construction, the DOT said. It included upgrades to the road's water mains, sewers, streetlights and traffic signals, along with new catch basins, fire hydrants, concrete-reinforced bus pads and a northbound bus lane between 40th Road and Roosevelt Avenue.

Lead image via Patch Reporter Danielle Woodward.