Police Panel Addresses Hazardous Old Mill Road Intersection

By Andrew Gorosko

Police Commission members are considering ways to improve traffic safety at the hazardous intersection of Route 34 and Old Mill Road in Sandy Hook.

Old Mill Road is a narrow dirt road extending southward from Route 34. The dirt road lies between Sherman Street and High Rock Road. Old Mill Road links Route 34 to Still Hill Road, and serves as a shortcut to Toddy Hill Road.

The traffic hazard is created when a westbound vehicle on Route 34 stops at the intersection with Old Mill Road to wait for eastbound traffic to pass to make a left turn onto Old Mill Road, police Captain Michael Kehoe said this week. Westbound traffic backs up behind the stopped vehicle, causing a collision hazard when oncoming westbound motorists suddenly encounter the end of a stopped line of traffic just after they round a blind curve just east of the intersection, he said.

The intersection has been the scene of many accidents due to the traffic hazard.

Capt Kehoe said the Police Commission is considering various traffic flow changes on Old Mill Road to improve safety.

One solution may be to make Old Mill Road a one-way street, allowing only northbound traffic on it, which would exit onto Route 34, he said.

Another solution may be to keep Old Mill Road a two-way street, but to have the state prohibit left turns from being made from westbound Route 34 onto Old Mill Road, he said.

People who regularly travel on Route 34 are well aware of the traffic hazards posed by the intersection, he said.

Police Commission members discussed the traffic safety issue at a February 1 session. The Police Commission serves as the town’s Traffic Authority.

At the meeting, Doreen Kostecki of 11 Founders Lane expressed concerns about the limited sight lines of westbound motorists on Route 34 who suddenly encounter a line of stopped traffic at the intersection with Old Mill Road just after rounding the blind curve.

The state Department of Transportation (DOT) installed various warning signs in the area following a recent Police Commission request for a review of traffic hazards in the area, according to commission records.

Ms Kostecki suggested that a flashing warning sign be installed to alert westbound motorists of the hazardous intersection.

Police Commission members are seeking public comments on the traffic hazard and expect to discuss the matter again when they meet Tuesday, March 7, at 7:30 pm at the police station at 3 Main Street.