Community Watchdog: Rough road in West Babylon

Edison Avenue at Wellwood Avenue in West Babylon is a dangerous mess because it's been in need of repaving for at least five years. My co-workers and I have damaged our cars and got flat tires driving over this area because it has potholes and ridiculously uneven patches of asphalt. Workers who drive here and the commercial truckers who know the road, swerve trying to avoid the worst areas in the road. We've called the Town of Babylon so many times we've lost count, but it still hasn't been fixed. I can't believe the town is ignoring this.

-James Messina, Lindenhurst

If the weather cooperates, that wretched stretch of road should be repaved within a couple of weeks, says town spokesman Tim Ruggeri.

This project has been on the town's repaving list, but it's not a simple fix, he said, so when the trucks roll in to do the work, Edison Avenue will have to be closed for at least a half day.

What's taken so long to get the town moving when they know the road needs fixing? There are two jurisdictions involved and the traffic light at the intersection adds another complication. "It's a tricky situation," Ruggeri said. Edison is a town road. Wellwood belongs to Suffolk County, and the traffic signal's loop system that controls the light is underneath the area that needs repaving.

Workers will take the road down a few inches and level it out. About 40 feet of Edison has to be repaved, Ruggeri said.

Once a construction date is set, the town will notify the businesses in the area about the street closing. When that happens, we hope employees who use the route will check their maps for alternate routes. Or maybe the town will be proactive and provide that information with its notice to businesses.

To report Babylon town road problems, call the Citizen's Services Department at 631-957-7474.

We can't blame Richie Heaning of North Massapequa for his many e-mails to us about the need for left turn arrows on Boundary Avenue at the Seaford-Oyster Bay Expressway entrance ramps, and his questions about why a fix hasn't happened yet.

In early March, we wrote about his multiple requests to Nassau County over a three-year period for the arrows to improve traffic safety there, especially during rush hours.

In July 2008, he received a letter from then-Public Works Commissioner Raymond A. Ribeiro saying the county agreed the arrows would make the road more efficient. But it's not as easy as it sounds because the job calls for wiring changes and more traffic detectors. (This apparently is the case for most turn arrows that are added after-the-fact.) Usually, when there's an approval for a project such as this, it takes about a year for it to happen. At the time, Ribeiro told us he hoped to have the arrows installed by the end of summer.

So much for that timeline.

We asked county spokesman Mike Martino why summer came and went without the arrows being installed. His e-mail response: "This is another example of the many issues we inherited facing the County's infrastructure. This project, it is not a low priority, but due to low staffing levels and the complexity of the rebuild, we need to take the time to do it right." That doesn't sound optimistic, but Martino anticipates it will be done by year's end. We didn't ask Martino what other infrastructure problems he was referring to, but we're guessing that's not good news, either.

There is a small pond with a footbridge along Portion Road (County Road 16) in Lake Ronkonkoma, just west of Ronkonkoma Avenue, that runs parallel to the road. The wood planking is deteriorating badly with some spots broken apart and lifting up. So instead of using the footbridge, runners, walkers and cyclists walk on the road's shoulder, which is only about six inches wide. I notified the Town of Brookhaven and Suffolk County last year, because I jog frequently there, and this road is very busy. It's almost impossible to feel safe using the footbridge in this condition.

-Mike Mancuso, Lake Ronkonkoma

Suffolk County's Department of Public Works replaced the missing planks in mid September and also repaired some loose planks and handrail sections. The work was completed last week.

While Mr. Mancuso says he notified the county last year about the problem, Public Works Commissioner Gil Anderson said his department was advised of the problem with the bridge in late August. "The dangerous issue is corrected" and residents "should now feel safe using the footbridge," he said.

The damage was likely caused by a passing vehicle that struck the adjacent guardrail and knocked the wood out of place, Anderson surmised.

Anyone with concerns about Suffolk County roads should call 631-852-4010.

-MICHAEL R. EBERT