East Hampton Town residents casting ballots this year will find one proposition pertaining specifically to the town.
Proposition 3 asks voters for approval to remove a triangle of land where North Main Street intersects with Three Mile Harbor and Springs-Fireplace Roads from the town’s nature preserve properties so that the area can be available for future road improvements.
If voters say “yes,” the town could then allow Suffolk County to use part of that land to reconfigure the busy intersection when it undertakes a larger road improvement project extending from North Main Street at the intersection of Collins Avenue in East Hampton to Three Mile Harbor Road (County Road 40) where it intersects with Copeces Lane in Springs.
The county is planning a $14.5 million reconstruction of the heavily traveled road with plans to add curbs, bike lanes, new storm drains, and retaining walls in certain areas. The county had planned to put the project out to bid this fall, open bids by next fall, and begin the work in the spring of 2027. The scope of work as discussed in the spring did not include major changes to the intersection, but the town has been pushing the county to consider a roundabout.
Voting in favor does not mean that a roundabout is a certainty. The county, which owns the roads in question, will ultimately decide on a design for the intersection, whether that be a roundabout, a traffic light, or something else.
But a “yes” vote allows the option to use part of the triangle for a “project that will address longstanding traffic delays and public safety issues at the intersection,” according to a town explainer on Proposition 3. “By Suffolk County implementing the changes identified in previous studies, including the potential construction of a roundabout, the goal would be to ease traffic bottlenecks, improve visibility, and ultimately enhance the quality of life for residents.”
