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Botched Road Project Leaves Huntington Residents In An Uproar

HUNTINGTON, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- After years of complaints that it was "bumpy" and "pot-holed", the town of Huntington finally spent thousands to repave Oakland Avenue. Neighborhood residents were ecstatic until it was suddenly dug up again.

CBS2's Jennifer McLogan caught up with residents who voiced their disgust with the local government.

Michael Cogan, an Oakland Avenue homeowner said, "This isn't about the march of progress or the work that's being done. It's about the inefficiency of the government."

Neighbor Irene Taub echoed Cogan's sentiment saying, "Terrible thing when we are supposed to be fiscally responsible, that they lay $100,000 worth of pavement only to rip it up several weeks later."

Residents were initially thrilled when a federally funded project included a much-needed re-pavement of their street, but their joy quickly turned sour.

Oakland Avenue homeowner Scott Cassese described the short-lived elation to CBS 2's McLogan.

"Literally, National Grid showed up here the next day after the paving was done, and said we are going to be ripping this up, and the town just seems to have complete lack of accountability," Cassese said.

National Grid had held public hearings and was granted an easement by the town to tear up the street, and install a much-needed gas line to feed the nearby Northport Veterans Administration Medical Center.

But resident Robert Schombs blamed local politicians for the mess.

"This road was supposed to be paved last year. They did every other street, except for this one, because the town knew the gas was going down the block. From what I understand it is a political football, and no one wants to let it go," Schombs said.

Previously, Huntington's highway superintendent claimed to be unaware of National Grid's excavation plans.

However, he later told McLogan, that  "no one is passing the buck" ... This is getting blown out of proportion ... It's a big project -- the road will be re-milled."

Oakland Avenue residents remain incensed.

"They are going to come back and re-do the whole road, that's what I find so ridiculous," Maria DeSilva said.

"A lot of wasted money, a lot of wasted time. Quality work was done, and now it has to be re-done. It's embarrassing," Michael Kennedy added.

National Grid and the VA hospital said that once the road settles they will pay for the trench to be filled and the for road to be re-milled and paved.

Is there a problem with a road project in your neighborhood? Sound off in our comments section...

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