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Residents say Fanning Avenue detour would overwhelm neighborhoods, question county 10‑minute estimate
Summary
Local residents and business owners said the proposed detour through Fanning Avenue and adjacent streets would create gridlock, endanger school routes and harm businesses; county engineers defended the model and proposed signage, temporary signals and coordination with town and emergency services.
Residents at the county presentation challenged the traffic modeling and urged stronger mitigation, enforcement and coordination to protect neighborhoods and schoolchildren.
"It's already functioning as a bypass," said a resident who lives at the corner of Fanning Avenue and Canoe Place, describing constant traffic that has forced the household to sleep with earplugs. Multiple speakers argued that routing Montauk Highway traffic down Fanning would push heavy traffic past schools and on narrow residential streets and said the county's estimate of "an additional 10 minutes" for peak trips underestimates the problem.
Speakers suggested a range of mitigations: limiting or restricting commercial vehicles, pre‑signing detour routes further east and west, increased police enforcement or paid enforcement, coordinating with navigation apps to keep nonlocal drivers on Sunrise Highway, and running trial diversions or cone programs in advance to observe real behavior. The county said it will coordinate with the town, Suffolk County Transit and emergency services and that advanced signage and temporary signals are part of its plan, but acknowledged enforcement and app routing remain practical challenges.
Residents also pressed for routinely scheduled meetings and milestone updates so the public can monitor progress. Several asked whether the county or state would provide additional funding for traffic enforcement during the closure; the county said that has not been discussed yet.
