Route 347 Construction Starts Second Phase in Smithtown

Drivers should be prepared to hit their brakes along Route 347 as construction begins on Phase II of the Route 347 greenway project. 

The first phase of the Route 347 greenway project, from Veterans Highway/Route 454 to  Wheeler Road/Route 111, was completed last week, reports Newsday. The second phase will move construction east, from Wheeler Road/Route 111 to Mount Pleasant Road, beginning next week. 

Phase II of the Route 347 Greenway project plan to add a third travel lane in each direction to the highway to help eliminate traffic. Residents also voted to have sound barrier walls, similar to those on the Long Island Expressway, added in varying heights from 12 feet up to 20 feet to shield residential homes from noise and passing traffic. 

It is the second phase of a 13-part project that aims to transform 15-miles of Route 347, running from Hauppauge to Port Jefferson, with more traffic lanes,  bike trails, walking paths, solar-powered lighting, raised medians and more to make the highway more efficient and more attractive. 

Route 347 is "the first major Long Island road project that had more amenities than just more pavement and more asphalt," said Vision Long Island executive director Eric Alexander told Newsday. "It's not just another big roadway project."

Read more on Newsday [subscription required] about the second phase of the Route 347 construction.