Community Corner

Route 347 Update: Eliminating Left Turns, U-Turns To Improve Safety

Work crew put up temporary barriers to improve motorist safety at the Sequoia Drive and Route 347 intersection.

Hauppauge drivers will face a more difficult time making left-hand turns and U-turns on Route 347 in the coming weeks.

Bright orange traffic cones have been installed over the past week, dividing two intersections on Route 347. New York State Department of Transportation is changing the flow of traffic to improve motorist safety and reduce the number of accidents, according to spokeswoman Eileen Peters.

Peters said a temporary barrier has been installed at the Sequoia Drive and Route 347 intersection, across from the Hauppauge Center with the Hess gas station.

Find out what's happening in Hauppaugewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

"Motorists will no longer be able to make left turns in the center median," she said.

In addition, construction workers will be eliminating the eastbound U-turn near the Route 347/Veterans Highway intersection, where the former Hauppauge Village Hall/Knights of Columbus Hall stood.

Find out what's happening in Hauppaugewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

"Both of these are permanent safety improvements as originally proposed in the NY Route 347 plans presented at public meetings," Peters said.

Construction crews are still working on installing storm water drainage systems, removing the old guiderail, and installing temporary concrete barrier to prepare for the expansion of the highway.

The ongoing construction is to transform 15 miles of Route 347 into an environmentally conscious, motor and pedestrian-friendly highway stretching from Hauppauge to Port Jefferson. The one-mile stretch in Hauppauge from the Route 347/454 split to the Route 111 intersection is scheduled to be completed by 2012.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here