Town Highway Department Braces for Snow Storm

The Town of East Hampton Highway Department was bustling with activity on Wednesday, as crews made final preparations for the forecasted winter storm.

Highway Superintendent Stephen Lynch said workers were putting the final plows on, fueling the trucks up, and filling the trucks up with dirt so they can push through the snow with force.

"We're ready to go," Lynch said. While many residents are dreading more snowfall — following February's blizzard — Lynch said the highway department is always at the ready.

The 18-man crew, and 17 part-time drivers, as well as 15 contractors, are on standby, waiting for Lynch's call to head out on the roads.

Lynch said because the precipitation is supposed to start with rain, they won't salt the roads first. They'll head out onto the roads at night if there's at least two-inches of accumulation, he said. The slow moving storm is supposed to continue into Friday.

He's more concerned about flooding in Montauk and on the bay side.

The superintendent reminded residents to please stay off the roads as much as possible. "Let the guys work," he said. 

"We could get slammed," he said. The upside, however, he said, is that it's going to be 40 degrees on Friday.

The key to keep the roads clear is to keep plowing through the storm, which Lynch said was successfully done during the blizzard. While drivers have to get breaks, they will be staggered, he said. With 640 lane miles of road in the Town of East Hampton, workers have to keep at it for long hours.

"The guys are ready," he said.

Let's give a shout out to the highway department workers in the Town of East Hampton and the Village of East Hampton, as well as the county and state workers, who have a few long days ahead of them. Leave a comment below.