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Sunrise Highway improvements to begin shortly After more than ten years in the planning, safety improvements along Sunrise Highway in Amityville and Massapequa are underway. The plans call for enhanced motorist and pedestrian safety, while helping to keep traffic flowing and should take about 18 months to complete. The estimated $6.8-million project, which was proposed in the mid 1990s will include improvements on the highway between Cartwright Boulevard, east to Louden Avenue. "I'm glad the program is finally underway," said Senator Chuck Fuschillo Jr., whose office has been working on the issue for many years. "These improvements are important for traffic flow and public safety." According to the Department of Transportation (DOT), this area, which includes an entrance to the Sunrise Mall, has a high accident rate caused by high traffic volumes, numerous driveways, closely spaced traffic signals and heavy left-turn movements. The state says it will repave the road surface, upgrade the traffic signals, lengthen the left turn lane, add new signage and install or repair sidewalks to make the area safer for both drivers and pedestrians. At Unqua Road/Park Lane on Sunrise, a westbound raised roadway separator will eliminate conflicts caused by mall shoppers crossing many lanes. An additional through-lane will be added at this intersection for traffic flow and the bus stop at that area will be relocated. At another high traffic mall of stores called Philips Plaza, on eastbound Sunrise Highway, the traffic signal at the westerly driveway will be removed and the entrance and exit will be reconfigured for safety reasons as cars slowing down to turn caused many accidents. Although plans unveiled in 2002 originally called for the Old Sunrise Highway exit/entrance onto 27 to be sealed off, public outcry from the Massapequa School District and emergency response teams in Massapequa and Amityville moved the State to scrap that plan. Construction was originally planned to begin in the fall of 2006, but was postponed until now, due to the weather, according to Eileen Peters, public information officer for the DOT. Work is due to be completed by the spring of 2008. Locals who regularly traverse this road will be glad to hear that most of the construction will be taking place during nighttime hours, when traffic is light, with only the occasional lane being closed during the day. During rush hours, all lanes will remain open for the 50,000 estimated motorists who travel of the busy thoroughfare each day. In addition, all the travel lanes will be open between Unqua Road and Old Sunrise Highway during the holiday shopping season between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day.
"These renovations are necessary to improve conditions for drivers and once the DOT completes this project, we will have a safer and more improved Sunrise Highway," said Fuschillo.
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