Crosswalk work to shut East Hampton road

East Hampton Village is getting two high-tech safety crosswalks -- illuminated at ground level when people on the sidewalk press a button, lighting the crosswalks at night and making it easier for drivers to see pedestrians.

But their installation will disrupt traffic for the next three weeks as workers shut down two, three or -- at times -- all four lanes of traffic on Main Street, the busiest roadway in the village.

The work is being done between Hunting Lane and The Circle, near the intersection with Newtown Lane, the other major road in the village.

There is no easy alternate route to get around the closures, although drivers can take the scenic route to the south, down Dunemere Lane past the exclusive Maidstone Club, then down Further Lane to Indian Well Plain Highway and then back north to Montauk Highway.

Village officials requested the crosswalks, and work on the $150,000 project is planned between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Monday through Friday, weather permitting.

At some points, only a single lane will be open, and a flag person will alternately stop eastbound or westbound traffic.

There will also be brief closures of all four lanes at times when equipment is repositioned.

Eileen Peters, spokeswoman for the state Department of Transportation, said this is the first and, currently, the only lighted crosswalk her agency is installing on Long Island.

Peters added that Brookhaven Town already has a similar illuminated crosswalk on Hospital Road in East Patchogue near the Brookhaven Memorial Hospital Medical Center.