No left turns out of 7-Eleven, TJ Maxx lots in Riverhead
It will now be illegal to make left turns out of the 7-Eleven or TJ Maxx parking lots into northbound Roanoke Avenue lanes.
The Riverhead Town Board on Tuesday voted to ban left turns onto the roadway in that location, which is just north of the busy Route 58 traffic circle.
Because of the proximity to the circle, cars turning left out of the two lots have to cross two lanes of southbound traffic that’s entering the circle, town officials said.
That, and since two lots’ exits are close together, two cars making a left and right at the same time run the risk of turning into each other.
Now drivers will have to make a right and head south, then go around the traffic circle to go north.
Or, they could go three-quarters through the circle and continue east on Route 58 and take another route to head north.
Resident Sal Mastropaolo of Calverton said at Tuesday’s Town Board meeting its more dangerous to send traffic through the circle because drivers have traverse five areas where traffic is merging, compared to just one if they made the left turn.
Councilman Jim Wooten opposed both left turn bans, and Councilman George Gabrielsen was absent, but the other three board members supported them, giving the measures enough votes to pass.
Highway superintendent George ‘Gio’ Woodson said no “no left turn sign” has been posted, and that he hadn’t received an order for one.
