Highway Department Begins Repaving Southern Boulevard

The Smithtown Highway Department began a repavement project of the one-mile stretch between Smithtown Bypass and Townline Road on Southern Boulevard on Wednesday.  The project will take about one week and 2,300 tons of asphalt to complete.

This is the first time this road has been repaved since the mid-1970's, the highway department said. The milling process, which strips the roadway's first inch to an inch and a half of current asphalt, began yesterday.

After milling is complete, the department must wait two days before paving. Paving is currently scheduled for Tuesday, Aug. 31, weather permitting.

The asphalt extracted from the milling process will be recycled for use in future jobs like pothole patching.

The project on Southern Blvd. is part of Highway Department Superintendent Glenn Jorgensen's $5 million Road Program, which hopes to repave or resurface roads in every community in Smithtown by 2010's end.

As of Aug. 26, 25 percent of the program has been completed at a cost of $924,391.41, according to Legislator John Kennedy's office.

Legislator John Kennedy and Smithtown Councilman Kevin Malloy visited Southern Blvd. on the first day of construction.