Stalled Calverton intersection project set to resume, completion expected by year’s end

Reconstruction of the Edwards Avenue and State Route 25 intersection in Calverton — which has stalled and left the surrounding roadways damaged — will resume soon, according to a state Department of Transportation spokesperson. 

“The New York State Department of Transportation expects major construction to resume in the coming days on the safety enhancements at the intersection of State Route 25 and Edwards Avenue,” DOT spokesperson Stephen Canzoneri said in an email. “Land surveying is being conducted in advance of the resumption of major construction and all work is expected to be complete by the end of the year.“

The DOT is improving the intersection by widening it, realigning Edwards Avenue and adding exclusive left-turn lanes at all approaches. The project’s delay was caused by “additional utility relocation work,” which required changes to the project’s design and increased its cost, Canzoneri said. The change order for that work was filed April 15, according to the state comptroller’s website. The website does not provide information about the specifics of the change order.

People who work near the intersection said they last saw workers there three weeks ago. Canzoneri did not respond to a question about when construction on the project stopped.

The work at Edwards Avenue is part of the larger East End Safety Enhancements project, which includes the reconfiguration of three other intersections on the East End. According to the state comptroller’s website, the design changes added roughly $600,000 to the project’s cost, bringing the total cost to $11.5 million. 

The contractor on the project, H&L Contracting of Hauppague, did not return a phone call requesting comment. 

Reconstruction of the intersection must be completed before Riverhead Town can issue a certificate of occupancy to the HK Ventures industrial park project, located approximately 1.5 miles away on Route 25. The environmental review for the 412,629-square-foot industrial park project concluded it would significantly impact traffic in the area — further exacerbating issues at the Edwards Avenue intersection if left unaddressed.

The Riverhead Planning Board initially tied the issuance of HK Ventures’ building permits to the completion of the DOT’s intersection realignment project, but later settled a lawsuit brought by the developer, allowing construction of the industrial park to begin before the DOT’s reconstruction project is complete. 

The East End Safety Enhancements project was originally scheduled for completion in February 2025. The deadline was extended to the end of this year, according to state records.