Politics & Government

State Will Clean-Up Former Public Telephone Areas

Project will start in fall 2014.

The state is planning bicycle lane improvements on several East End roads, including in a small section of Hampton Bays, as well as cleaning up former public telephone areas in Flanders and along Sunrise Highway.

New York State Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele Jr., I-Sag Harbor, said on Monday that improvements to bicycle routes in his jurisdiction include a 5.6-mile length Route 27A from Knoll Road in Hampton Bays to Tuckahoe Road in Shinnecock Hills.

The state will also clean-up areas where coin-operated telephones once stood on Route 24, known as Flanders Road, and Route 27, west of the Shinnecock Canal, in both directions between exits 65 and 66. Litter and debris will be removed, concrete pads and garbage receptacles will be repaired, and fences will be fixed, according to Thiele.

Thiele expects that the New York State Department of Transportation projects will begin in fall 2014.

"I applaud the New York State Department of Transportation for their efforts to ensure safe, reliable, and comfortable transportation for non-motorized travelers using marked bicycle lanes," Thiele said. "By improving and expanding bicycle lanes we are addressing critical connections in our local bicycle network and ensuring the safety of cyclist and motorists alike."

Other areas where bicycle lanes will be improved upon include a 23.2-mile length of I-495 to Old Riverhead Road in Riverhead, a 62-mile stretch of Route 27, which is Montauk Highway, from County Road 39 in Southampton to Montauk Point and the 28.2 miles of Route 114 from Route 27 in East Hampton to the ferry on North Haven and then through Shelter Island. Both sides of those roads, where there are shoulders, are included in the project.

Improvements range from cleaning pavement surfaces, re-striping, replacing signage, wedding and removing plants and trimming back trees and shrubs that are in the way, inspecting drainage grates, resetting drainage grates and eve replacing bicycle friends drainage grates.

The rest area on the westbound side of Route 27, east of Wainscott Stone Road, in Wainscott will be fixed up, as well. Thiele said litter will be removed, signage will be replaced, among other improvements.

All of the projects could take two years to complete, Thiele said.


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