Drivers concerned over construction on Route 112 in Coram
Project to widen existing lanes and shoulders won't be complete until 2011
4 comments below
Construction along Route 112 in Coram has residents concerned about traffic delays and safety issues. State DOT workers say the project will continue on until spring 2011.
A group of New York State Department of Transportation employees met with the Coram Civic Association Monday night to address concerns over the project, which they said will not be done until spring 2011.
"There's no such thing as immaculate construction," said DOT outreach coordinator Margaret Conklin in attempting to calm the residents' concerns.
The chief complaints of community members Monday were over perceived safety hazards the construction has caused and the way it has slowed traffic on the busy corridor, which serves as a gateway to the east and west and also is a primary path to the expressway for local commuters.
There are two projects under way on Route 112 in Coram, with the easternmost one stretching from just west of Middle Country Road to Diamond in the Pines Park. The other project continues west to Route 347.
Both are designed to widen the road, make it safer and to add "life" to the road, Ms. Conklin said.
Several Coram Civic Association members questioned why the work was being done if no new lanes were being added. Ms. Conklin said she believed adding new lanes in either direction would create a new set of problems.
Commuters who often travel north to Route 112 from County Road 83 will have a second left-turn lane to work with at the south corner of the intersection. New traffic signals will also be added along Route 112 at the corners of East Gate and Wedgewood Drive.
So far, workers said they have begun to widen the existing shoulders and they have also erected new telephone poles, which will be set further back from the roadway than the existing ones.
Civic member Rich Cloonan said he was concerned that construction vehicles and traffic drums set up along Route 112 have made it difficult for drivers looking to turn onto the road.
"I pull a boat out of there," he said. "One of these days I'm gonna get clobbered."
But DOT representatives said the existing construction setup will change dramatically in the next week. Ms. Conklin said that shortly after Thanksgiving, traffic on the western portion of Route 112 will be diverted off the roadway and onto the widened shoulder for a period of time.
Ms. Conklin told civic members that the DOT does have plans to work on the portion of Route 112 that extends south of Middle Country Road to Granny Road, but the bidding on that project likely won't go out until 2014.
"It's a money thing," she said. "We just don't have the money to do anything sooner."
A portion of the current Route 112 project is being paid for through economic stimulus funds. It's one of only two existing road projects in Suffolk County to use stimulus money.
gparpan@northshoresun.com
The North Shore Sun is pleased to offer readers the ability to comment on stories. We expect our readers to engage in lively, yet civil discourse. The North Shore Sun does not edit user submitted statements and we cannot promise that readers will not occasionally find offensive or inaccurate comments posted in the comments area. Responsibility for the statements posted lies with the person submitting the comment, not The North Shore Sun. Please be reminded, however, that in accordance with our Terms of Service and federal law, we are under no obligation to remove any third party comments posted on our website.
4 comments found
route 112 : 12/4/2009
The work on 112 is causing more problems than anything I have ever seen. The orange barrels placed willy-nilly is like a maze and at night you could end up facing oncoming traffic. Someone is going to have a head on crash before this mess is cleaned up. AND warning lights should be on the road. This is a giant hazard.
Besides the fact that I have gone down that road when the workers are supposedly working and see them lazing around, talking, having coffee, and just plain wasting time and tax payers dollars. No wonder its going to take years to complete. Besides no one really needs 4 people to hold up a slow down sign. Someone should do something about this waste of time and our money.
Rte 112 construction : 11/27/2009
I'm glad that rte 112 will remain a two lane road. Wider roads just encourage motorists to drive faster. Narrow roads are safer roads for both motorists and pedestrians. Hope they add some additional traffic calming, like street trees and raised medians. Thank you!
112 road construction : 11/26/2009
Rt. 112 & Rt. 83 construction has certainly caused great delays.
Aside from that, signs have been entirely inadequate at the Rt. 112 and Rte 83 intersection.
About a week ago, my family -- with no signs advising drivers to stay to the left-- and forced to detour to the right (East) from 83; we were en-route to Mt. Sinai. Following that turn to the right, signs directing us to Mt. Sinai, were entirely absent and reaching Mt. Sinai was a gamble, only aided by the car's compass!
To have construction, with unacceptable delays, as proposed for the next several years -- with no addition of travel lanes -- can only be described (in kindly fashion) as one large boondoggle of an idea
May this old and retired pediatrician make but one sugestion:
Please clean up the mess, replant grass and stop the nonsense!
Sheldon N. Feinberg MD
waste of money : 11/26/2009
as was said why even waste any money or have construction traffic delays on a project thats not adding more lanes the road should be 6 lanes from L.I.E TO PORT JEFF no lets wait till some builder gets some of the right a way a puts a building on it
