'No truck' signs on Hospital Road reinstalled

Hospital Road in Patchogue is a noncommercial road, but all day long dump trucks, sand trucks and semitrailer trucks come down the road. I've called the police and they said they are working on it, but I have seen nothing yet. If you're able to get their attention that would be really great.

-- Charles Giarraputo, Patchogue

We hope you start to see fewer trucks soon, Mr. Giarraputo.

Though Hospital Road is designated off-limits to commercial trucks, many of those "no truck" signs have been missing, something Brookhaven Town's Traffic Safety Division found out when they reviewed the road in response to our inquiry.

"They found a total of five signs which may have come down in . . . [superstorm Sandy] or were knocked over during the blizzard and never reported," said town spokesman Jack Krieger. "All have been reinstalled."

In addition, Christopher M. Bergold, captain of the Suffolk County Police's Fifth Precinct, told us that officers would be increasing enforcement on the road in an effort to target truckers who are using it unlawfully. Hospital Road is likely an "attractive cut-through" for truckers seeking access to Sunrise Highway from Woodside Avenue and County Road 101, he said.

But don't count on all trucks disappearing; the town permits those making local deliveries to use the road.

"There are two large apartment complexes located off of Hospital Road, as well as Brookhaven Memorial Hospital, which, in all likelihood, require truck deliveries," Bergold said.

Brookhaven residents with signage concerns on town roads should call the Traffic Safety Division at 631-451-8696.