‘I survived the Ponquogue Bridge’ apparel emerges amid closure buzz

It seems there’s always a capitalist ready to pounce.

With the sudden closure of the Hamptons’ Ponquogue Bridge, one local entrepreneur has already capitalized on the situation — designing and selling hoodies, sweatshirts and long sleeve t-shirts that read, “I survived the Ponquogue Bridge.”

Within days of the bridge’s recent closure for safety precautions, Carolyn Munaco shared the design on Facebook, linking to an order page, where the shirts are available in gray mélange, royal blue, white, bottle green and red. Munaco reminisced in her post about biking over the bridge, recalling the thrill of navigating exposed rebar.

“Do you remember riding bikes to the bridge and walk/crawling over the rebar at the top before it was completed?” she asked her friends in the Facebook post on Sunday. “I think about that everytime I get to the top of the bridge on my bike and my legs start shaking… lol!”

The idea has been well-received.

“This is great!!! I was terrified everytime we rode over that bridge i can still see the wooden planks that were so uneven and the edge ,” Lisa Tobin-Mckee commented on Munaco’s Facebook post.

Meanwhile, the Ponquogue Bridge — a key connection between Hampton Bays and Dune Road — remains shut down to vehicles and pedestrians following the discovery of structural deterioration.

Town officials said the inspection revealed damage to the bridge’s concrete girders, leading to the immediate safety precautions. Barricades are in place to prevent access while state and county engineers continue to assess the structure.

The Southampton Town Department of Public Safety and Emergency Management, citing guidance from the Suffolk County Department of Public Works, confirmed the bridge will remain closed until further notice. Officials are still determining what further action may be required to address the structural concerns.

The Ponquogue Bridge spans Shinnecock Bay and is about a half-mile in length. To the east, there are no alternatives to reach the western stretch of Dune Road by car or on foot. Rogers Beach Bridge in Westhampton is the nearest alternative to the west.

Residents and visitors looking to reach Dune Road should anticipate increased traffic on other area bridges and roadways. The town said updates on the status of the Ponquogue Bridge will be provided as additional assessments are completed.

_{Top images: The state has ordered the immediate closure of Ponquogue Bridge (Facebook and Google Maps).}