Local elected officials are urging the State Department of Transportation and Governor Andrew Cuomo to have the state completely repave Route 114 from the South Ferry at North Haven to Stephen Hands Path in East Hampton.
Officials say the road is in the worst condition since it was last repaved 20 years ago.
The letter — signed by State Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele Jr., State Senator Kenneth P. LaValle, Suffolk County Legislator Bridget Fleming, East Hampton Town Supervisor Peter Van Scoyoc, East Hampton Village Mayor Paul F. Rickenbach Jr., Sag Harbor Village Mayor Kathleen Mulcahy, and North Haven Village Mayor Jeff Sander — notes that they have repeatedly asked state officials to commit to a major repaving project for the eight-mile stretch of state-owned road.
The letter predicts that road conditions will worsen this winter.
The letter notes that Route 114 is one of the most heavily traveled corridors on the East End, serving as an alternate route for many east-to-west travelers seeking to avoid traffic congestion on Route 27 between Southampton and East Hampton.
“Traffic volumes continue to grow exponentially far beyond what could have been predicated when this road was last repaved over 20 years ago,” says the letter, addressed to Mr. Cuomo, Transportation Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez, and Joseph T. Brown, a regional director at the Department of Transportation, adding that the increased travel has taken its toll on the road surface.
Local officials feel the renovation will improve safety and boost the tourist economy.
The DOT repaired the eight worst locations of pavement through the roadway, “representing a small fraction of the overall roadway,” the letter states. “While we appreciated this effort to at least rectify the worst of this situation, 18 months later the road condition is worse than ever,” the letter continues.
The officials hope to see work on repaving Route 114 begin in 2020, the letter says.
Staff Writer on Oct 1, 2019