The public has been invited to celebrate the completion of a project to bury utility lines and remove utility poles at the “Montauk Gateway,” in front of 589 Montauk Highway, on Monday at 10 a.m.
Elected officials, utility contractors, and other interested parties will be among those marking the completion of the utility line project, an effort to both improve the views at the approach to Montauk’s downtown and strengthen the energy infrastructure.
The project is the latest phase of a public-private partnership to beautify the entrance to Montauk, as originally envisioned by John Keeshan, who has advocated for the project for more than a decade.
An earlier phase, spearheaded by another Montauk resident, Dan Cahill, saw utility lines buried along Old Montauk Highway at residents’ expense. The public portion of the project cost approximately $836,000, according to a statement from East Hampton Town Hall.
The town’s ability to pay for the work was augmented by a $250,000 New York State grant secured by Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele Jr. While that grant was ultimately applied to another project, per state recommendation, it freed up town money that was then applied to the gateway project.
“Placing the utility lines underground at the gateway to Montauk not only enhances the scenic oceanfront vista enjoyed on the approach to the hamlet, but safeguards our electric and utility infrastructure by securing it below ground, protected from the effects of coastal storms,” Supervisor Peter Van Scoyoc said in the statement. “This increases the area’s energy resiliency, a key goal in East Hampton’s coastal resiliency plan, which is designed to help us mitigate the increasing effects of climate change.”
