Taken on November 28, 1962, this photo shows Robert Moses standing at the Fire Island Inlet Bridge at the exact moment the final steel was being put into place. Not long after, the structure would shift from construction project to everyday part of life on the South Shore.
- The final steel was placed on November 28, 1962
- Robert Moses was present on site for the occasion
- The image was preserved as part of his official papers, rather than general press coverage
By 1962, Robert Moses had already reshaped much of Long Island’s infrastructure.
- Born in 1888, Moses oversaw the development of parkways, bridges, and public works across the region
- His projects were especially focused on access to Long Island’s parks and shorelines
- The Fire Island Inlet Bridge fit directly into that broader vision
The bridge itself was built as part of the Robert Moses Causeway, carrying traffic over the Fire Island Inlet toward Robert Moses State Park on the western end of Fire Island.
It was constructed as a two-lane steel span and would officially open to traffic on June 13, 1964, at a cost of $10 million.
Robert Moses was closely tied to the projects that would define how people moved across the island. The completion of the Fire Island Inlet Bridge was more than just a construction milestone.
- It created a critical connection between the mainland and the barrier island system
- It improved access to destinations like Jones Beach and the surrounding coastline
- It became part of the broader network that defined travel patterns on Long Island
Like many of Moses’ projects, its impact was immediate but also long-lasting. A second span was once proposed to handle growing traffic, but it was never built, leaving the bridge much as it was originally designed.
Photo: Robert Moses at the placing of final steel, Fire Island Inlet Bridge, November 28, 1962. Courtesy of the New York Public Library, Robert Moses Papers, Manuscripts and Archives Division.
