Montauk Branch customers will have to allow for extra travel time as the Metropolitan Transportation Authority replaces Long Island Rail Road train service with buses for a 72-hour period from Speonk to Montauk starting on Tuesday, March 12, and lasting through Friday, March 15. The change in service is due to the latest phase of track work in the LIRR’s $24.4 million rehabilitation of three East End bridges.
The work will be performed on the Shinnecock Canal Bridge, the North Highway Bridge and the Montauk Highway Bridge, all located in Hampton Bays. The ongoing project will force the railroad to take its single main track on the Montauk line out of service from approximately 2:13 a.m. on Tuesday until 2:30 a.m. on Friday.
According to a release posted on the MTA’s website, “Track outages will mean significant schedule changes for Montauk Branch customers during peak and off-peak periods. Customers should pick up a copy of the special Montauk Branch timetable dated March 12-15 or view the same timetable on the MTA website to determine the best bus and train combination for them.”
The track work and subsequent rerouting of service will effect approximately 364 westbound customers from stations Montauk through Westhampton. Those customers will board buses on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday approximately 40 minutes earlier than their regularly scheduled train to travel to Speonk, where train service will resume to points west.
Approximately 413 daily eastbound customers will be affected by the change and should plan for an additional 40 minutes of travel time. Those customers will board buses at the Speonk station for service to stations from Westhampton to Montauk.
To take advantage of the change in service and not further disrupt commuters, the LIRR plans to perform safety upgrades and reconstruct the railroad crossing on County Road 39A near Flying Point Road in Southampton to accommodate the Town of Southampton’s and the Suffolk County Department of Public Work’s widening of County Road 39A.
As a result, traffic will be closed to vehicular traffic on that section of the roadway on Tuesday, March 12, Wednesday, March 13, and possibly Thursday, March 14, from 7 p.m. to 5 a.m. each night. According to a release posted on the Town of Southampton’s website, eastbound traffic will be directed to proceed south on David White’s Lane and then east on Hampton Road. Westbound traffic from Montauk Highway will be directed to continue on Hampton Road to David White’s Lane, where it will be directed north to re-enter CR 39A.
For more information on the LIRR’s change in service, visit the MTA website at mta.info/lirr. Questions about traffic rerouting can be directed to the Southampton Town’s Transportation and Traffic Safety Office at 283-5210.
on Mar 11, 2013