DOT: Public hearing on Oakdale Merge Wednesday evening

A public hearing on fixing the Oakdale Merge, a frequent bottleneck where Sunrise and Montauk highways converge by Connetquot State Park, will be held on Wednesday evening in Oakdale, the state Department of Transportation said.

The preliminary options that have been studied will be presented, a department spokesman said by email. He did not comment on whether parkland trees might be cut down to make more room for traffic.

“Our long-term goal is to strike a balance between alleviating a long-standing bottleneck at the Oakdale Merge and protecting and enhancing Long Island's valuable natural resources," spokesman Joseph Morrissey said.

Public officials have long criticized the design for causing delays and accidents; each day, about 126,000 cars travel through the area over the Connetquot River between Heckscher State Parkway and Oakdale-Bohemia Road.

Five lanes of traffic in each direction narrow to three. And vehicles entering from the Heckscher State Parkway and Southern State Parkway interchange add to the eastbound traffic volume, officials said.

By January, the transportation department says it expects to finalize its study, after analyzing the public comments.

"Upon receiving input from the public on the study’s results, more detailed plans can potentially be developed," the department said on its website.

Wednesday's public meeting will be held at the Oakdale-Bohemia Middle School in Oakdale, from 5 to 8 p.m.

Alternatively, comments can be emailed to r10-rpic@dot.ny.gov, or phoned into 631-952-6929. The mailing address is: The Oakdale Merge Design Team, NYSDOT Region 10, 250 Veterans Memorial Hwy., Hauppauge, NY 11788. Comments must be submitted by Dec. 28.