News out of Washington does not bode well for the long-awaited replacement of the Smith Point Bridge, a county project that will lose $5 million in federal funding. The setback comes as another major span, the Ponquogue Bridge, is only open for limited capacity due to corrosion issues discovered during routine inspections.
Averting a government shutdown, Congress passed a Continuing Resolution that pared spending in a number of areas, including projects earmarked for Long Island. Suffolk officials are taking a wait-and-see approach to the cuts and the impact on the $126.5 million estimated cost to build another Smith Point Span.
“We don’t yet know the impact on the project,” said Legislator Jim Mazzarella, whose district covers the gateway to Shirley’s Smith Point Park. “We’ll need to wait and see what happens.” Previously scheduled to begin early next year, the project was pushed off to 2026 due to design changes, the county announced last summer.
Funds for the massive project, just west of the existing structure, were expected from various federal sources, including the Bridge Formula Program, a Surface Transportation Block Grant, and the National Highway Performance Program. Suffolk will foot 20% of the bill, which has risen from original estimates due to inflation in practically all aspects of the construction industry, officials said.
The new bridge will be a 1,600-foot-long prestressed concrete structure with ADA-compliant sidewalks and wide shoulders sufficient for cyclists. Unlike the existing drawbridge, the new span will provide a 55-foot clearance over the 100-foot-wide navigation channel to allow boats to pass below.
Bridges at Smith Point date back to the early 1900s before the current span was built in 1959. Developers looking to draw new residents to the area built a succession of wooden structures to carry them to the ocean beach. The latest project will include new recreation areas and upgraded bathroom facilities at the Smith Point pavilion.
About 20 miles to the east in Hampton Bays, the county has restricted weight limits on the Ponquogue Bridge while a thorough engineering assessment is underway. Deteriorating concrete girders caused the closure of the span in February, which was recently reopened with a ban on large trucks and other heavy vehicles.