The Village of Plandome, through a series of meetings held earlier this month, has announced the timetable to implement the planned improvement and reconstruction to the section of Plandome Road that runs through its village.

The section of roadway which extends approximately 2,300 feet from The Terrace to just beyond the entrance to Bayview Road, is presently considered to be one of the most hazardous sections of Plandome Road. Built in the early 1900s the road, designed for a much smaller usage of vehicular traffic, has been outdated by the growth of the surrounding communities and is currently used by over 15,000 vehicles a day, including over 400 trucks. The safety concerns alone demand that this project be carried out.

The message that Mayor Brian Vincent, Highway Commissioner Henry Sikorski and the other trustees of the Village of Plandome stressed during their meetings with the mayors of the surrounding villages, as well as the commanding officer of the 6th Precinct of the Nassau County Police Department and a representative of the Town of North Hempstead, was crystal clear:

"Beginning on March 1 and extending to July 21, there will be major delays experienced by motorists who use Plandome Road. Please advise all motorists to leave earlier than normal and strongly urge them to look for alternate routes."

While all of those in attendance voiced concern for their respective citizenry, they all agreed that the project was sorely needed even though it would create upset during the period of construction.

Bowne, an engineering firm headquartered in Mineola, will be the overall supervisor of the project and Twin County Recycling Corp. of Hicksville will act as the prime contractor. As part of the contract, Twin City has agreed to keep Plandome Road "open" during construction. The acceptable way of accomplishing this is to keep one lane open and install "flagmen" who will alternate traffic through the construction area. This, by definition will cause long delays. However, access will always be available to emergency vehicles, school buses, necessary services and residents accessing their driveways.

This paper, as well as all local papers will keep residents informed on a weekly basis on the progress of the Plandome Road Project. The Village of Plandome will, on a daily basis, on Channel 54, give daily updates on the status of construction and the condition of the road.

This is a desperately-needed project that will benefit everyone in the area. It is hoped that everyone will cooperate and understand that the inconvenience is only for their safety and well-being.

* Leave earlier to catch trains, etc.

* Look for alternate routes.

* Use public transportation if possible.

* Avoid Plandome Road.

* Check this newspaper for weekly updates.

* Check Channel 54 for daily status reports.