Southampton Town To Build Emergency Sand Berm In East Quogue To Prevent Breaches

An emergency sand berm will be constructed on Dune Road in East Quogue this month after several high tide-induced wash-overs have officials worried a breach is imminent.

At a special Southampton Town Board meeting on Thursday afternoon, February 11, the board authorized spending $22,580 to hire First Coastal Engineering, a Westhampton-based company, to design and construct the 500-foot-long barrier.

The berm will be located 1,500 feet east of Triton Lane, roughly 2.5 miles west of the Ponquogue Bridge, and will be constructed using 5,000 cubic yards of stockpiled sand currently being stored in Hampton Bays. It is expected to be between 10 and 15 feet high with a 50- to 75-foot-wide base.

According to Martin Shea, chief environmental analyst for the town, the emergency berm is necessary to prevent a water breach—when the ocean water meets the bay water—on Dune Road. In early February, the town started closely monitoring the section of Dune Road after two nor’easters caused surging tides and over-washes—when water crosses the dune line but does not reach the bay—in two spots.

At the special meeting on Thursday, Mr. Shea said that, if the beach is left alone, a breach would most likely occur, essentially creating another inlet and causing catastrophic ramifications for the rest of Dune Road.

Officials are hopeful the project will be completed in the next month, and they said they hope to use Suffolk County equipment to expedite the construction. Supervisor Jay Schneiderman said on Thursday the measure is only a temporary fix, and that long-discussed plans to elevate Dune Road must be seriously considered to protect the barrier island.

“This is absolutely a Band-Aid. It’s an emergency,” Mr. Schneiderman said. “There have been a lot of plans discussed of elevating Dune Road. If that were to happen, it would create a barrier between the ocean and the bay.”