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The emergency weight limits have been lifted, but all traffic over the troubled Smith Point Bridge will be constrained to one lane as Suffolk County seeks to expedite repairs to the busy bridge to the beach.
The one-way traffic pattern will be controlled by lights, county officials said. Operating hours at Smith Point County Park have returned to normal.
Suffolk County Ed Romaine also announced Monday that he’s signed an executive order to expedite funding and repairs needed for the 1959 drawbridge that opens for boats crossing Narrows Bay.
“In coordination with the New York State Department of Transportation, the Smith Point Bridge’s weight limit has increased back to 15 tons with a one-way traffic pattern,” Romaine announced at a press conference. “We will continue to monitor the bridge’s current condition while expediting the process to start construction next year for the bridge replacement.”
Romaine also said the bridge will be “totally usable” within a few months, according to a Newsday report.
“We will be installing … steel cable, among many other things, to strengthen this bridge,” he said.
The shifting measures comes on the heels of a routine state Department of Transportation inspection that revealed structural issues significant enough for the county to immediately post a three-ton weight limit on the bridge, which serves as the lone roadway link between the mainland and Fire Island’s eastern end.
Citing Alexander Prego, the county Department of Public Works’ chief engineer, Newsday also reported that the bridge was built “with reinforced concrete beams — beams with steel cables under tension and then poured over with concrete.”
“Some of those cables now, over the last 60 years, have been exposed and they’re starting to fail,” Prego said.
A new bridge is coming
The current Smith Point Bridge — a 1959 drawbridge that must open for boats crossing Narrows Bay — has been targeted for replacement for years.
The county is in the final design stages for a major new structure that will rise immediately west of the existing bridge. The old bridge will remain open throughout construction.
The planned replacement is a 1,812-foot arch bridge that would eliminate the need for drawbridge openings entirely. Key features include:
- 75-year service life
- Prestressed concrete beams and post-tensioned piers
- 11 spans, each about 165 feet long
- 55.6 feet of vertical clearance and 100 feet of horizontal channel clearance for marine traffic
- ADA-accessible pedestrian and bicycle path
- Better roadway alignments on both sides to improve traffic flow
Construction on the new bridge is expected to begin in 2026, with the current bridge staying in service until the project is complete.
Top: The current Smith Point Bridge — a 1959 drawbridge that must open for boats crossing Narrows Bay — has been targeted for replacement for years. (Credit: GLI/Nick Esposito)
