'Ticking time bomb' intersection in East Hampton getting redesign
East Hampton Town officials are moving ahead with a project that will create a roundabout at the intersection of Stephen Hands Path, Long Lane and Two Holes of Water Road. Credit: Gordon M. Grant
Construction of a roundabout at a problematic intersection in East Hampton could begin as early as fall, according to town officials.
The East Hampton Town Board unanimously approved a resolution Thursday to authorize a $775,000 bond to finance construction of the roundabout, or traffic circle, at the intersection of Stephen Hands Path, Long Lane and Two Holes of Water Road.
The remaining cost of the approximately $1.5 million project will come from the highway department budget, according to the resolution.
Town officials and residents have said the current intersection is dangerous. Since 2010, 46 crashes have been recorded there, according to the town.
Stephen Hands Path, which runs north and south, lacks stop signs and is vulnerable to speeding, Ray DiBiase, president and CEO of L.K. McLean Associates, a firm of consulting engineers and surveyors, told town officials during a presentation last year.
Councilman David Lys said in an interview Friday the town will request bids for a contractor once engineering department officials finalize the design.
He added that the area already will see traffic disruptions this summer due to a New York State Department of Transportation project at the nearby Route 114 and Stephen Hands Path intersection. The roundabout construction won't start until that project is completed, according to the councilman, who said the traffic circle could be finished by late fall or early winter.
Lys previously told Newsday the area has become a bypass for drivers trying to skirt East Hampton Village traffic and that vehicles and school buses traveling to and from East Hampton High School on Long Lane also frequent the intersection.
Resident Scott Beck, 61, who lives nearby, told the board Thursday the intersection is a “ticking time bomb.” While some residents have proposed alternate solutions such as stop signs or traffic lights, town officials decided a roundabout is the best answer.
Tyler Borsack, an environmental analyst for East Hampton's planning department, said during a town board meeting Tuesday that the project won't have any negative environmental impacts and has been “designed intelligently to deal with any flooding concerns in the area.”
Construction of a roundabout at a problematic intersection in East Hampton could begin as early as fall, according to town officials.
The East Hampton Town Board unanimously approved a resolution Thursday to authorize a $775,000 bond to finance construction of the roundabout, or traffic circle, at the intersection of Stephen Hands Path, Long Lane and Two Holes of Water Road.
The remaining cost of the approximately $1.5 million project will come from the highway department budget, according to the resolution.
Town officials and residents have said the current intersection is dangerous. Since 2010, 46 crashes have been recorded there, according to the town.
Stephen Hands Path, which runs north and south, lacks stop signs and is vulnerable to speeding, Ray DiBiase, president and CEO of L.K. McLean Associates, a firm of consulting engineers and surveyors, told town officials during a presentation last year.
Councilman David Lys said in an interview Friday the town will request bids for a contractor once engineering department officials finalize the design.
He added that the area already will see traffic disruptions this summer due to a New York State Department of Transportation project at the nearby Route 114 and Stephen Hands Path intersection. The roundabout construction won't start until that project is completed, according to the councilman, who said the traffic circle could be finished by late fall or early winter.
Lys previously told Newsday the area has become a bypass for drivers trying to skirt East Hampton Village traffic and that vehicles and school buses traveling to and from East Hampton High School on Long Lane also frequent the intersection.
Resident Scott Beck, 61, who lives nearby, told the board Thursday the intersection is a “ticking time bomb.” While some residents have proposed alternate solutions such as stop signs or traffic lights, town officials decided a roundabout is the best answer.
Tyler Borsack, an environmental analyst for East Hampton's planning department, said during a town board meeting Tuesday that the project won't have any negative environmental impacts and has been “designed intelligently to deal with any flooding concerns in the area.”
Joe Werkmeister covers the towns of Southampton, East Hampton and Shelter Island. He is a graduate of St. Bonaventure University and previously worked as the editor of two North Fork community newspapers.
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