Smithtown awards bid for road-widening project

Smithtown town officials have awarded a contract for more than $200,000 in road improvements at Edgewood and Landing avenues in the hamlet of Smithtown.

The $208,647 bid was made by Kings Park Industries for work that includes adding a third lane on Edgewood Avenue for westbound traffic. According to the resolution, Kings Park Industries was the second-lowest bidder. The apparent low bidder, Gold Coast Pavers, made mistakes in their bid pricing and withdrew.

The road-widening project -- expected to begin in the spring -- will take place on the north side of Edgewood Avenue, just east of Landing Avenue, to create the third lane for right turns only.

"That widening has been on the books for a long time," said Smithtown Supervisor Patrick Vecchio. "Money was placed in the capital budget last year."

The right lane is now dedicated to right turns only, while the left lane shares the left turn and the straight-through traffic. The improvements will provide a right turn lane, left turn lane and straight-through lane.

Councilman Thomas McCarthy said the road project is "going to solve the backup problem because you're going to have three lanes." Currently, he said, "The left turn lane and the straight lane is the same one, so as soon as someone turns on their blinker everyone going straight gets stuck behind them."

McCarthy said the project will also make the roadway safer by cleaning up all four corners, including pruning of trees. "We have a couple of trees hanging right over the curb, so you get trees almost in the traffic lane," he said.

The town purchased a small portion of private property at the northeast corner of Landing Avenue for $7,500 in order to widen the road, said town officials.