Sunrise Highway expansion urged by officials in Suffolk County
PATCHOGUE, Long Island (WABC) -- State and local officials are calling for an expansion of Sunrise Highway in Suffolk County, saying heavy congestion between Patchogue and Moriches creates delays for motorists and first responders.
North Patchogue Assistant Fire Chief Daniel Glenn said traveling through the area during rush hour can be challenging.
"It's absolutely atrocious trying to get through here," Glenn said.
According to officials, Sunrise Highway narrows from three lanes to two lanes in both the eastbound and westbound directions on that stretch of roadway. Glenn said the bottleneck can hinder emergency response efforts.
"I'm only going 5 miles an hour to try and get through cars, and I'm trying to get to an emergency situation," Glenn said.
State Sen. Dean Murray joined Suffolk officials in calling for the highway to be widened. The proposed project would expand Sunrise Highway to three lanes between Exit 53 and Exit 59, from Route 112 to Wading River Road.
"Right now, the bottleneck, the backups, the congestion, it's absolutely horrendous. It's not only a pain, but it's dangerous," Murray said.
Murray said population growth is one reason why the roadway expansion is needed.
"It used to be Fridays in the summertime, forget it, you didn't want to be near here, that's every day now," he said.
Officials also pointed to a planned $650 million expansion at NYU Langone Hospital-Suffolk, which they said is expected to generate additional traffic in the area.
"This hospital treats about 77,000 patients right now, and when you talk about the expansion, it is going to be even more," Glenn said.
Those supporting the project want it to be included in the state Department of Transportation's five-year plan. They said the first step is conducting a study and noted there is currently no estimate for the cost of the proposed 10.5-mile expansion.
For Glenn, the project is necessary to address current traffic conditions and future growth.
"We really need it, especially with the expansion project at the hospital. If we're doing 77,000, imagine what they do when they become a level one trauma center or something like that," Glenn said.
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