It's slow going across the Shinnecock Canal Bridge as repair work this week is expected to back up traffic for hours during the evening commute.

"I'm just going to avoid that like the plague," said Scott Lesizza, of Hampton Bays.

Eastbound lanes are open, but the westbound lanes are closed, and the left shoulder is being used as the only lane west across the bridge.

"The town is trying to do what it can do to improve that traffic, in the meantime we've enacted some of the blinking light programs and cones to try to keep things moving," said Ryan Murphy, Town of Southampton director of Public Safety.

The Town of Southampton says heavy rain Thursday overwhelmed a drainage system near the bridge, breaking it and eroding the embankment on the side of Sunrise Highway.

"There's really only one other alternative route and that's Montauk Highway which can become overwhelmed rather quickly," Murphy said. "The train service is another alternative that people could consider."

Officials say crews are working as fast as they can on the repairs near the bridge. They hope to have the work complete before the end of the week and have traffic flowing normally again.

Drivers say they're doing what they can to avoid the bridge during rush hour.

News 12 was told crews are both repairing drainage near the bridge and improving it to prevent similar incidents in the future.