Crossing the finish line on long-term road project
It's been a bumpy ride for Rob Uebel and other drivers who use Little East Neck Road, which has been undergoing a major reconstruction.
Newsday photo by Daniel Goodrich
I work in Melville and for the past eight years I’ve taken Little East Neck Road to work from Sunrise Highway. Since they’ve been doing construction on Little East Neck Road, it seems almost impossible to get to work on time. The condition of the road is unbearable. When will they finish construction and repave Little East Neck Road?
- Rob Uebel, Lindenhurst
Judging by the emails we’ve received, Uebel isn’t the only one who’s upset with the bone-rattling ride on that road the past few months. But there’s smoother travel ahead.
The Town of Babylon will repave a 4,700-foot stretch of the road next month, part of a $1.7 million federally-funded reconstruction project that includes new drainage, curbs and sidewalks. It will be first time the road has been repaved since 1963.
“Repaving is the project’s final step,” said town spokeswoman Vanessa Baird-Streeter. Drivers apparently have been coping and not complaining much. “There hasn’t been a tremendous influx of calls about the road’s condition,” she said.
The project spans from the Southern State Parkway to Patton Road - began in October with the installation of new catch basins and pipelines. Last month, contractors began installing new sidewalks and curbs requested by residents who said the busy two-lane road is often dangerous for pedestrians.
Babylon residents with questions or concerns about the town’s road improvement projects can call the Department of Public Works at 631-957-3161.
--Michael R. Ebert
