Highway Department Clears Downtown in Preparation for Friday Snow

Riverhead Highway Department employees are clearing snow on E Main Street, detouring traffic around much of downtown, in preparation for another snowfall on Friday night.

According to the National Weather Service, Riverhead has an 80 percent chance of snow on Friday night and is expected to get 3 to 5 inches.

Highway Department Superintendent Gio Woodson said he was unsure how long his crew will be down there clearing snow: "Until they get it done," he said.

"I think it will help out the stores downtown," he added. "We'll be able to get everything opened up in case we get snow - this way the trucks will have someplace to put it."

Late Wednesday morning, about half a dozen dump trucks carried snow in and out of downtown while a couple of loaders and one Bobcat shoveled snow off the street and sidewalks. Trucks had stopped traffic at the intersection of Roanoke Avenue and E Main Street, and further east on E Main Street at Union Street.

Suffolk County buses are being detoured north, down second street, in the interim.

As far as downtown businesses, a few local shop owners noted no ill affect due to a presumed loss of foot traffic.

Ed Tuccio, owner of , said, "We're busy. It isn't affecting us."

Barry Barth, owner of , said about 90 percent of his customers usually arrive through his rear door, so the closed street has barely affected business.