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Community Corner

Route 347 Renovations Begin

New York State Department of Transportation begins construction to make Route 347 both safer and more environmentally friendly.

The New York State Department of Transportation broke ground on the "green" Route 347 project on Aug. 18, a $26.8 million initiative that hopes to transform the high-traffic highway into a safer, more environmentally sustainable and less congested boulevard.

Construction will begin on the first one-mile stretch of the busy thoroughfare, located in Smithtown between where Routes 347/454 split and Route 111, in the final weeks of summer or early fall, said Eileen Peters, the public information officer for the Long Island region of NYSDOT.

The road will be changed significantly within the next two years, mostly by the addition of another traffic lane to ease congestion during peak traffic hours. This will ultimately allow extra traffic through, but it will come at the cost of narrower lanes and shorter shoulder on the side the road.

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A new 45 mph speed limit will also be enacted to increase safety and better regulate traffic flow.

"This new limit will make for a more predictable ride by preventing bottlenecks," Peters said. The roads will also have "intelligent transportation system" technology in place, a combination of traffic censors and upgraded traffic lights, to further coordinate the flow of traffic.

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The vision for the new Route 347 extends beyond motorists, to pedestrians, bicyclists and bus riders. The project will feature shared bicycle and pedestrian paths separate from the road in order to encourage people to walk or bike to their destinations more often.

Bus turnouts will be built and seven new bus stops will be added to Route 347, making the area more available by public transportation.  The bus shelters will  be eco-friendly and will be lit by solar power.

Rain water drainage – a hot-button issue in the area – will also be addressed by this new plan. The area at the corner of Route 347 and Townline Road will be made into a "stream-like filtration swale," said the NYSDOT in their press release, where rainwater will be collected and treated.

Another major focus of the Route 347 project is on landscape upgrades. Planted medians, green "living" walls and trees along the edges will be added.  All of this will be done using only plant species that are native to Long Island.

It is because of this feature, in addition to the planned drainage improvements and the bike, bus, and pedestrian-friendliness, that the project has received an"Evergreen" rating, the highest rating of the GREENlites (Green Leadership in Transportation Environmental Sustainability) program.

To avoid increasing traffic issues on Route 347 during construction, all road work will take place at night, and all business entrances will be accessible.

"Construction is never easy, but we will do our best to make it as easy as it can be," Peters said.

Route 347's makeover will be a long-term project, as NYSDOT estimates it will take until 2020 to complete the full 15 miles of renovations.

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