Last week, The Foggiest Idea penned an open letter to the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) urging the state agency to consider removing grade crossings at two key locations along New York State Route 347 – the intersection of Route 347 and Middle Country Road/NYS 25, and Route 347 and County Route 97/Nicolls Road.
You can read the letter to the state here.
In summary, TFI argued that unless these grade crossings are eventually eliminated, the effectiveness of the NYSDOT’s efforts to improve overall traffic flow in western Suffolk County will be significantly diminished.
In relatively quick time, the NYSDOT has responded to TFI. You can find their response letter, written by Glenn Murrell, a professional engineer and NYSDOT’s Regional Planning and Program Manager, copied below.
September 23, 2020
Dear Mr. Murdocco:
Thank you for your recent correspondence to the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) inquiring about the NYS Route 347 Reconstruction schedule, in particular, the proposed grade separation projects at NYS Route 25 and County Route (CR) 97.
As you know, the next section of NYS Route 347 to be reconstructed is between Gibbs Pond Road and Hallock Road with a bid opening scheduled for the spring of 2021. This project will include operational improvements at the intersection of NYS Route 25A and NYS Route 347.
Our plan remains to reconstruct the entire NYS Route 347 corridor between the Northern State Parkway at the western end of the highway and the intersection of NYS Route 25A at the eastern end of the highway. The proposed NYS Route 347 grade separation projects at NYS Route 25 an CR 97 are estimated at over $50M and $90M respectively and are currently outside of our Capital Program. If the opportunity to accelerate a future NYS Route 347 project presents itself, as it has in the past, we will revisit the schedules.
Thank you for your interest in this transportation matter.
Sincerely,
Glenn R. Murrell, P.E.
Regional Planning and Program Manager
