Construction to begin on the new Smith Point Bridge

Repairs to the Smith Point Bridge are currently underway in an effort to re-open the existing structure to two-way traffic ahead of the season. Construction on the new bridge will begin this summer.

Late last year, after New York State deemed the bridge unsafe limiting capacity, Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine restored the weight limit restriction on the bridge to 15 tons with a one-way traffic pattern.

“Obviously when the seasons starts, one lane of traffic would be problematic,” said Legis. Jim Mazzarella. “The County received state approval to repair the bridge and that work is now underway. We are fortunate that the repair is relatively simple in nature and there will be two-way traffic as the season opens. We are happy that our residents and beachgoers are going to continue enjoying the beach.”

According to Mazzarella the county plans to complete temporary repair work, including steel reinforcements, to the existing bridge by Memorial Day.

The new bridge construction will begin sometime this summer with work expected to take 24 to 30 months before completion. Once the work is complete and the new bridge opens to vehicular traffic, he said, the old bridge will be demolished. The demo work will take another year.

Last year, Mazzarella made it a goal to ensure all the bids went out before the end of last year to begin construction in 2026. Though an exact construction date hasn’t been set yet, work has already been done to clear the land on both sides of the water.

Back in 2022, the Suffolk County Department of Public Works began plans to replace the existing bridge with a new, high-level fixed bridge built along an alignment slightly to the west of the existing bridge.

The over $150 million project is being funded in part with money from the Federal Highway Administration. The remaining 20 percent falls on the county, which is currently pursuing additional funding options.

After the completion of the new bridge, the existing bridge would be removed. The project was expected to break ground in spring of 2024, with completion by the end of 2026.

According to Mazzarella, the project has seen some delays due to covid and the addition of the multi-use bike/pedestrian lane. Despite some local concerns with the multi-use path, he said that it was deemed safe by the Suffolk County Department of Public Works.

Along the path, there will be historical kiosks for people to stop and read, with several viewing areas. The bridge will also end farther west than the original bridge, allowing for a recreational space with the potential for volleyball and, maybe, basketball courts, Mazzarella said.

Additionally, the areas of the old bridge are to be used for wetland mitigation, as per the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation permit, and the new bridge will create a new shadow affecting marine life, which will require the old bridge to be demolished to remove the former shadow.