Southampton Secures $400,000 For Repaving Of Springville Road In Hampton Bays

Oct 3, 2012 12:29 PM

The Southampton Town Highway Department will receive a $400,000 grant from the State Department of Transportation to cover the cost of repaving a portion of Springville Road in Hampton Bays over the next year, State Senator Kenneth P. LaValle said on Monday.

Alex Gregor, the Southampton Town highway superintendent, said he approached Mr. LaValle and State Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele Jr. to ask for the funding about three months ago, although the department has been looking to repair the road for at least two years. Mr. LaValle then requested State Transportation Department Multi-Modal funds, which are allocated to the construction and improvement of roadways for projects with at least a 10-year lifespan, according to the senator’s office, and he learned of their approval last week.

Mr. Gregor said his office projected a cost of $375,000 for the repaving of Springville Road between Ponquogue Avenue and Good Ground Road, but the additional $25,000 will allow workers to widen the road at the intersections. He said the state funding will come in the form of a reimbursement once the project is complete. He estimated that the 2-inch overlay of asphalt will last 10 to 15 years.

“It’s a windy road, so we will be able to make it drain a little better and we will be able to make it safer for motorists, pedestrians and cyclists,” Mr. Gregor said, adding that the road is currently in poor condition. He said he was grateful for Mr. LaValle’s and Mr. Thiele’s efforts in securing the funding necessary to repair it.

“I think we’re the first on Long Island this year to be nominated for the Multi-Modal funding, so that’s good for all the taxpayers in the town,” Mr. Gregor added.

Before workers can begin paving the portion of Springville Road between Ponquogue Avenue and Rampasture Road, Mr. Gregor said, the Hampton Bays Water District must first finish replacing a water main in that section, work he hopes will be finished by the end of October.

Workers could then begin paving that portion, as long as the temperature remains above 40 degrees and pending the approval of the contract with the state Department of Transportation. Mr. Gregor said the district will replace the water main along the remainder of Springville Road, between Rampasture and Good Ground roads, next fall, after which that portion can be repaved.

“This critically important state funding helps Southampton with its highway infrastructure,” Mr. LaValle said in a prepared statement. “I am pleased that it will enable the town to move forward with road improvements without placing additional pressure on local property taxes.”