Bumpy ride on New York Avenue in Huntington Station paves way for sewer project

Rough road conditions can be typical across Long Island, especially this time of year. But what's happening along New York Avenue in Huntington Station is a special kind of misery for drivers and nearby merchants alike.

A nearly mile-long section of the hamlet's main north-south road, from around West Fourth Street south to 14th Street, is a combination of patchy pavement, crumbling asphalt and, at times, steel plates that jolts motorists almost nonstop along that stretch.    

The good news is it's temporary — a side effect of a massive sewer installation project that will ultimately allow about 187 mainly commercial parcels to connect to the sewer system.

The bad news is that parts of the road may be this way for a while — sections may be torn up and patched over until the fall and possibly beyond.

When the estimated $50 million Huntington Hub Sewer Project began last summer, parts of New York Avenue and nearby roads were ripped up to install the system. Drivers felt the impact immediately.

“The street is miserable; the whole stretch,” said Eddie Yacoub, who owns Jason’s Laundromat, at the corner of New York Avenue and West Ninth Street. 

Yacoub said he's worried he's lost customers and avoids driving along New York Avenue to his business, using side roads instead. He said he's looking forward to the sewers — his business operates on cesspools now — “but customers have been complaining that the roads are so bad, creating more traffic and damaging their cars.” 

Christopher E. Eccleston, co-owner of A.L. Jacobsen Funeral Home, about a block north of Yacoub's laundromat, said the rough roads are hard on his vehicles. He said he's heard clients complaining after having traversed them to get to his business. Then there's the dirt and grime tracked into the building, and the problem of traffic signals sometimes not working because of the construction.

But his biggest issue is a lack of information from officials about the sewer project.

“They haven’t told us hookup requirements; if it’s mandatory, do we have to use a provider they give us, or is this free market? Where are hookups going to be?” he said. “In the end it's going to be a positive thing, but right now it’s growing pains.”

Sewer work time frame

The roads are temporarily paved each night to allow driving the next day, Suffolk County director of communications Michael Martino said in an email.

The county is the lead agency on the project, which is being paid for with American Rescue Plan Act funding that Suffolk County and the Town of Huntington received, as well as with state Department of Environmental Conservation funds. 

The project — which in addition to parts of New York Avenue / Route 110 affects some east and west side streets — is about 20% complete, Martino said.

It's being done in phases. The installation of the main part of the sewer system is expected to be completed by May. The remainder, which includes additional piping installation and the construction of a sewer pump station, should be 95% done by late 2027, when customers will be able to make connections, Martino said. The project is expected to be completed in early 2028.

The entire project doesn't need to be completed before roads are restored, Martino said, but weather conditions need to be suitable for paving.

The state Department of Transportation will begin repaving New York Avenue this summer, from Depot Road south to where Walt Whitman Road and New York Avenue intersect. That's more than a mile of roadway and includes the stretch where currently, driving is the bumpiest. 

Town roads, on the other hand, will be paved curb-to-curb north of where Walt Whitman Road splits with New York Avenue. But south of that split, there will only be isolated restoration, Martino said. Property owners will have to hire a contractor to connect to the sewer system.

Temporary pain, eventual gain

Frank Cosentino, president of the Huntington Station Business Improvement District, said that while merchants have complained to him about the condition of the roads, he tries to focus on the positive: He believes the sewer installation will attract more businesses, and notes that the project includes neighborhood improvements such as new lights, sidewalks and easier access for those with disabilities.

“It’s a pain in the neck and an inconvenience, but the net results are going to be much improved,” he said.

Harold Sweezey, president of family-owned Campsite Sport Shop Inc. — south of the laundromat and funeral home — said the construction is just arriving in front of his store, and he’s bracing for it. He said since the project began, customers have complained about the roads, and at night — he lives nearby — the construction noise is loud.

“It’s been far enough [away] that it hasn’t been that bad, but now it’s getting close,” he said. “I just hope it doesn’t cause problems for my alarms, but we’ll see.”