Route 347 Update: New Traffic Light Signals Changes

A new traffic signal at Townline Road and Route 347 is a signal of greater visible changes to come in the weeks ahead.

A new traffic light at the Route 347 and Townline Road Intersection is set to blinking yellow to give motorists a chance to notice the signal and gradually adapt to the changes said Eileen Peters, spokeswoman for the New York State Department of Transportation.

Peters said the intersection that allows drivers heading west on Townline Road to merge into Route 347 westbound has been a concern for a years.

"It will be going fully operational once all the mechanics are complete and motorists have a chance to get used to a new traffic signal there," she said.

Peters said she could not give a specific date for this change. 

Construction workers are expected to begin shifting westbound traffic north, so a new center median can be construction to further separate opposing traffic on Route 347. Peters said a a temporary concrete barrier will be put in the center of the road.

Drivers tired and confused by the mass amount of orange safety cones will be able to follow the roadway.

"Everyone has to be safe during contrsuction, so they will be restriping the eastbound and westbound lanes," Peters said.

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.