Riverside Traffic Circle Ribbon Cutting Friday

RIVERSIDE, NY — After years of planning and months of work, Suffolk County, state and town officials will gather Friday for a ribbon cutting circle to mark the completion of the $5 million Riverside traffic circle project.

The ceremony will take place at 11 a.m.

Elected officials will join community to celebrate reaching the finish line in the county funded project, which converted a decades-old "inadequate traffic circle into a modernized roundabout that will serve thousands of daily commuters on the East End. The new modern two-lane roundabout will work to ease congestion and improve commuter safety," a release from Southampton Town said.

Officials have said that the new traffic circle will significantly benefit the local economy and play a key role in the broader revitalization of the Riverside community.

The project, according to officials, supports Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone’s Connect Long Island vision, a regional transportation and development initiative that promotes sustainable long-term economic growth in Suffolk County.

Friday marks the end of a year of tireless work: In May, 2017, neighbors gathered happily at the Riverside traffic circle to join elected officials for news that brought new hope to the community after years of debate and discussion.

At that event, Bellone joined other lawmakers to announce the beginning of work on the $5 million construction project to transform the current Riverside traffic circle, which was created in the 1930s, to a "redesigned, modern roundabout" that will serve commuters and act as an economic boon to the region, with environmental benefits, as well.

"Today marks a new beginning," Bellone said at the time.

The project, the community has said, will spur the downtown economic development in Riverside, long plagued by abandoned buildings and blight.

One feature of the project, Bellone said, is a new storm sewer system at the roundabout, designed and installed by the Suffolk County Department of Public Works, to improve the water quality of the Peconic River. When first designed, the current system was created to allow water to flow directly into the Peconic River, the scene of a massive fish kill in recent years.

Now, it will be treated to remove pollutants, Bellone said. "We need, not just to rebuild, but to rebuild smart," Bellone said.

The project, Bellone said, is considered "the most significant local capital improvement project in more than 50 years".

Specifics of the plan have included expanding the one lane traffic circle to a two-lane, modern roundabout.

The project has seen many stops and starts. Southampton Town Supervisor Jay Schneiderman, who worked tirelessly on the plan when he served as a Suffolk County Legislator, said initially, the plan involved removing one lane of traffic from the five currently leading into the circle, but when members of the community cried out against closing Riverleigh Avenue and re-routing traffic, the current plan was created, with the design an "oval" or egg shape, with the traffic circle widened for two lanes.

Schneiderman, speaking to residents in 2017, said it "was all of you," who advocated for funding to remain in the county budget for the plan.

Schneiderman thanked Bellone for his vision. He recalled walking around the area with Bellone, seeing the shuttered shops and boarded-up buildings. But Bellone, he said, saw only "potential. He saw what it could be."

He added, "We're standing where all roads come together, literally and figuratively." But, Schneiderman said, its not only the roads, but an expanded circle of people, who have made the project a reality.

Suffolk County Legislator Bridget Fleming was thrilled. "Finally," she said. "I'm so delighted to be here." Fleming said she was proud to have been on the Southampton Town board when a Riverside Revitalization Action Plan, including overlay zoning, was adopted.

But the first step to convince developers that their investment was sensible, was to focus on easing traffic congestion, she said. She added that the environmental benefits are critically needed.

Community member Art Bridenstine was thrilled. "This is a great day. This project has been long overdue," he said.

Suffolk County Legislator Al Krupski said a year ago that he used to come to the area for ice cream as a child, and even then the area, "a major hub," was congested. The project, he said, will benefit the environment. And, with a traffic circle originally built in 1937, he said, "It's time."

Bellone said the project will ensue with a minimum of disruption to motorists and local business owners.

The county executive thanked local civic organizations, including the Flanders, Riverside & Northampton Community Association, for their voices and input.

After a study in 2011 by the Suffolk County DPW it was determined that there would be eight separate construction phases required so that traffic could be maintained in the existing traffic circle.

Looking ahead, Bellone said the county's investment in not only infrastructure, but in transportation, is key, with a focus on connecting Long Island; downtown centers are integral to revitalization, he said.

Patch file photo by Lisa Finn.