MTA Long Island Rail Road today announced crews will begin the final stage of work to replace two bridges in East Hampton, at North Main Street and Accabonac Road to improve safety and reduce the possibility of bridge strikes with oversized vehicles improperly crossing these roadways.

 

The Accabonac Road and North Main Street Bridges, located in the Village of East Hampton along the Montauk Branch, were constructed in 1895. Separated by about 500 feet, the North Main Street Bridge is the westernmost bridge and currently has a posted clearance of 10 feet. The Accabonac Road Bridge, the easternmost bridge, has a posted clearance of 9 feet 9 inches. These low-hanging bridges have been the site of many accidents over the years caused by trucks striking the bridges.

 

In 2015, there were nine incidents in which vehicles struck the overpasses, reiterating the need to improve safety and reliability for both vehicles and LIRR passengers by replacing these low-hanging bridges. The LIRR will raise the vertical roadway clearance of these bridges with the installation of new single span steel bridge structures. The new height clearance will allow trucks to safely pass underneath the bridges.

 

This effort is part of the broader LIRR Modernization Program, with 100 projects across the railroad, to improve the overall LIRR system efficiently and reliably. For more information on LIRR’s capital projects, visit amodernli.com

 

As a result of the work, buses substitute for all train service east of Southampton, which includes Bridgehampton, East Hampton, Amagansett and Montauk, on a 24/7 basis between Oct. 15 and Nov. 10. Additional maintenance work will be performed on the weekend of Oct. 26-27. During this weekend, the busing program will be extended from Hampton Bays through Montauk.

 

Customers should expect additional travel time, and earlier westbound departures to allow connections with train service at Southampton. In addition, North Main Street and Accabonac Road have been alternately closed with road detours that began Wednesday, Oct. 2. 

 

Road closures during the final phase of the North Main Street and Acccabonac Road Bridge Replacement Project are as follows:

 

Please note that road closures may be extended due to weather conditions and other work-related circumstances. While the work is in progress, MTA and East Hampton Police will assist with road closure and traffic detours.

 

 

Information about the planned schedule change noted in this press release, and all planned service changes, is available through the LIRR’s real-time service information sources.

myLIRR.org - Customers can see real-time positions of upcoming trains in real time, on a smartphone-optimized map that refreshes every 3- to 5-seconds, by logging into myLIRR.org, which is optimized for smartphone screens.

 

MYmta app & MTA.info – Customers who use the new, comprehensive MYmta app will see real-time travel information for the LIRR and connecting services all in one place, with push notifications when service is not operating normally. As a caution, trains that start out their trips on time may experience delays en route. The LIRR Train Time app also remains available for customers to access LIRR train information. The rail tab of the “Service Status” box at new.MTA.info is always the definitive source for the latest status for each branch, updated every minute.

 

Email and text message service updates – Customers are urged to sign up to receive the alerts by visiting MyMTAAlerts.com. To avoid unwanted messages, a user can tailor the messages to the specific branch, and the specific times of day.

 

@LIRR on Twitter – Twitter users can follow @LIRR to receive updates of a similar nature to the email and text alerts, shortened to fit Twitter’s format.

 

The above communications channels can be accessed while at home or on the go. For customers who are located at stations, the LIRR will post the latest service updates on digital signs at station platforms and will make audio announcements over public address systems, and on-board announcements made by train crews.

 

For those who prefer the telephone, information is available from the LIRR’s Customer Service Center by calling 511, the New York State Travel Information Line, and saying: “Long Island Rail Road.” Those who are deaf or hard of hearing can use their preferred service provider for the free 711 relay to reach the LIRR at 511.