Miller Filed-Great Kills Park bike path

In this file photo from June 2012, a portion of the bike path connecting Miller Field through Great Kills Park to Hylan Boulevard was installed on New Dorp Lane. The bike path will continue to be constructed through a project with the U.S. Army Corps.

(Mark Stein)

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- A bike path connecting New Dorp to Great Kills that was put on hold in 2012 after Hurricane Sandy ripped through Staten Island is back on track to be completed as part of the Army Corps of Engineers Seawall project.

"While we were excited to complete the creation of a continuous bike path along the eastern shore of Staten Island using parks and bike lanes in 2012, Superstorm Sandy forced us to reprioritize construction in the area to restore areas south of Ebbits Street within Cedar Grove, including paving the road through the park, which doubles as a bike path," said Staten Island Parks Commissioner Lynda Ricciardone.

The bike path was originally slated to connect Miller Field in New Dorp to Gateway National Recreation Area and Great Kills Park. But a New York State Department of Transportation grant was only able to fund the pathway from Miller Field to Cedar Grove Avenue -- and it was this path that was completed prior to Sandy.

But Parks now plans to expand the original bike path to the end of Great Kills Park, with help from the Army Corps.

"Now, our original vision for a continuous bike path will be realized thanks to an Army Corps seawall project that will include the path to the expansion farther south of Gateway National Recreation Area," Ricciardone said.

When complete, the bike path from start to finish will run from Miller Field in New Dorp to the end of Great Kills Park.

This rendering shows the buried stone seawall that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will construct, with the new boardwalk above it. (Advance file photo)

The bike path is part of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers work on the project, which includes building a buried seawall from Fort Wadsworth to Oakwood Beach.

According to Public Affairs Specialist James D'Ambrosio, the current estimated project first cost (initial construction) is $560 million for the entire project.

"The South Shore of Staten Island has a long history of flooding, structural damage and loss of life from severe storms, including Sandy in 2012," said D'Ambrosio. "The proposed buried seawall, extending from Fort Wadsworth to Oakwood Beach, will help manage flood risks to this vulnerable area. During the design phase, we'll continue working closely with New York City to explore the possibility of site enhancements."

The seawall project also includes a levee, a flood wall and tidal wetlands in Oakwood Beach to act as barriers against future storms along the eastern shore of Staten Island.

Construction of the project is slated for spring 2019 and is expected to be completed in 2021. The bike path will be included in project plans.