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Town praises emergency response to US Open but urges county action on County Road 39
Summary
After the US Open, Southampton officials praised local police and interagency coordination but pressed Suffolk County to present concept plans and make infrastructure changes to ease recurring backups on County Road 39; a pedestrian bridge removal on June 29 will close the road overnight.
Southampton board members commended town police and multiagency coordination during the US Open week but said the town needs stronger county and state engagement to address chronic traffic problems on County Road 39.
Board members said the event highlighted how many agencies can coordinate effectively during a large event, but noted performance falls short on the ‘‘shoulders’’ of the event—before and after peak days—when residents and businesses experience sustained traffic problems. A council member said Suffolk County Department of Public Works has promised concept plans for County Road 39 in the fall and urged the county to accelerate work and consider express or limited-access options.
Officials described concrete harms: delayed medical appointments, constrained access for seniors, and situations in which emergency and hospice visits were delayed by congestion on event days. The board asked county staff for interim fixes and repeated that targeted changes at chokepoints—such as Tuahoo Road and Watermill signal issues—could significantly reduce backups.
The board also announced a pedestrian bridge removal: County Road 39 will be closed both directions from 8:00 p.m. on Monday, June 29 to 5:00 a.m. on Tuesday for bridge removal operations; the town will distribute notices through its notification groups.
Town members said they will hold a debrief with regional partners to capture lessons from the tournament and seek more robust year-round commitments from county and state agencies to manage traffic during major events and seasonal peaks.
