Rendering of Route 347 project. / Courtesy of NYSDOT

Construction has begun on a $71.4million project to modernize a segment of Route 347, according to a statementfrom the New York State Department of Transportation.

The project will add new travel lanes, signals, crosswalks and other improvements to a 2-mile section of the roadway between Gibbs Pond Road and Hallock Road in the towns of Smith town and Brookhaven.

The work, which wasn’t scheduled to start until next year, is the latest phase in Routes 454 and 25A into a “multi-modal, environmentally sustainable boulevard for motorists, pedestrians, bicyclists and transit users,” according to the statement.

Following five earlier phases of the Route347 project, the new phase will add anew road surface, raised planted medians and a continuous third travel lane in both directions. Intersections with local roads and the Smith Haven Mallen trances will also be enhanced with new traffic signals and turning lanes to improve traffic flow.

In addition, the project will create bus stops with pull-off areas for buses, shaded shelters and solar powered lighting, solar-powered pedestrian level lighting at intersections, coordinated traffic signals to reduce congestion and high-visibility crosswalks with pedestrian countdown timers.

The Parks to Ports Greenway shared-use path that’s adjacent to the road’s eastbound lanes will also be extended by an additional 2 miles as part of the project. Bicycle racks and informational panels with details about the local community and environment, newland scaping, a greenway stop with benches and informational panels and rain gardens to improve the collection and treatment of storm water run off are also part of the project.

Work zones will be established behind barriers to avoid affecting daytime traffic and lane closures will be conducted primarily during off-peak and overnight

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