Suffolk County has added new single-lane traffic restrictions to the aging Smith Point Bridge, tightening access just one week after emergency weight limits were imposed due to structural concerns, according to a report from liparks.com.
The 1959 drawbridge, the only vehicular link between Shirley and Smith Point County Park on eastern Fire Island, shifted to an alternating one-lane pattern on Saturday. County Executive Ed Romaine said the move is designed to preserve the span’s safety and functionality while officials continue work on a long-delayed replacement project.
The temporary configuration uses portable traffic signals near the draw span, forcing vehicles in both directions to take turns crossing Narrow Bay. Passenger vehicles and light trucks may still travel the bridge, but commercial vehicles, work trucks, and some RVs remain barred under the three-ton limit imposed last week after a New York State Department of Transportation inspection revealed deterioration in major structural components.
Read our story “Crazy Facts About Smith Point” by clicking here.
According to liparks.com, inspectors earlier this year labeled the bridge among several Long Island structures in poor condition. Engineers have documented cracking concrete, corrosion on steel supports, and ongoing worries about how the bridge would withstand coastal flooding and major storms. Multiple repair projects over the decades have kept the drawbridge operational, but federal data shows the structure’s condition ratings have steadily declined as it approaches its 70th year of service.
Suffolk has spent years developing plans for a new fixed-span bridge, including funding approved in 2019. The proposed 1,800-foot arch structure would eliminate the need for a drawbridge, offer 55 feet of vertical clearance, and add wider shoulders, sidewalks, and new public fishing areas. Environmental reviews around the neighboring Wertheim National Wildlife Refuge and design revisions have pushed the timeline back, with the current estimate projecting an opening around 2029.
Until then, the existing bridge must shoulder the load, now under alternating traffic and strict weight limits. County and state officials are expected to hold a news conference Monday to address the bridge’s condition and the updated replacement schedule.
Beachgoers and park visitors can still reach Smith Point County Park, the Otis Pike High Dune Wilderness, and the outer beach, but should prepare for delays and follow all signal controls. Restrictions remain in place indefinitely.
Photo: Intelligentlove at en.wikipedia., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
