Expect Delays

Anyone who commutes east and west on the South Fork daily, or who needs goods or services that come by truck — so, really, everyone — endured several days of stress. New York State and Suffolk County officials were able to find a higher gear than normal to repair Sunrise Highway at the Shinneock Canal, which limited the pain, and for that they are to be commended.

By now, everyone is aware: Heavy rains last week caused erosion along the bridge abutments on the northeast side of the canal. Two westbound lanes of the highway were closed for days, with only one emergency lane squeezing westbound traffic. The closure was in effect around the clock, but it’s obviously created a crisis in the afternoons for the “trade parade” heading west, starting mid-afternoon and continuing well into the evening.

This is not a new problem, of course: There is too much traffic volume crossing the canal every day, and backups are typical. But this led to the worst traffic day on steroids. It might not be hyperbole to call it disastrous.

When something blocks Sunrise Highway, thanks to the unique geography of that area, there really isn’t much of an alternative beyond heading to Montauk Highway, which is already a single overwhelmed lane heading west most afternoons. Credit Charlie McArdle, the Southampton Town highway superintendent, for again being ahead of the game last week and utilizing a similar strategy used on the west side of the canal for eastbound traffic in the morning, using cones and crews to add a second lane at the pinch point.

In the meantime, it offers a reminder that residents and business owners need to start thinking about disaster planning. Those few days were an opportunity to test a few things that might come in handy for long-term solutions of the traffic dilemma: staggering work hours, allowing more work-from-home options, setting up carpools. Workers can use the moment to try out the South Fork Commuter Connection — and they might discover a surprisingly convenient and affordable way to get back and forth to work in a reasonable amount of time, a service they can continue to use after the road reopens.

The challenges last week offer multiple reminders. Infrastructure is a necessary investment, and the longer it’s ignored, the harder its failure will hit the public. Increasingly severe weather, which includes heavy rains in addition to more headline-grabbing storms, will hasten the breakdown of a lot of our road system, and it’s likely to get worse before it eases up. And the daily problems created by too much traffic on the South Fork are amplified when there’s any kind of disruption, whether it be a serious accident or a failure of the road surface.

Everyone knew this is one of the biggest problems South Fork residents face. Here’s a brutal reminder that time is not an ally, along with a taste of exactly how much is at stake.