Days before the blizzard, a Feb. 20 video showing a hole in the Fire Island Inlet Bridge’s roadway went viral. The hole was large enough to reveal the rushing current of the Great South Bay 60 feet below, with only the exposed bar grating remaining in between. Now, elected officials are sounding the alarm.
In a Feb. 24 letter, New York State Assembly Members Jarett Gandolfo (R-7th District) and Michael Durso (R-9th District) called on New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) Regional Director Richard B. Causin, P.E., to accelerate the timeline for planned rehabilitation of the Robert Moses Caseway system.
“The Fire Island Inlet Bridge is a vital piece of our local infrastructure, connecting our mainland communities to the world-class beaches of Robert Moses State Park and granting access to Fire Island. It is a gateway to so much of what makes Long Island a special place to call home,” the letter reads. “Under the current timeline, the construction phase will not begin until Fall 2027 and is anticipated to be completed in Spring 2028. We are concerned that the bridge will continue to deteriorate as we wait, potentially leading to additional safety concerns, hazards, and closures. We respectfully ask that you begin this critical project in 2026 instead.”
While the bridges are maintained by Suffolk County, their oversight ultimately falls to the NYSDOT.
Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman has also added his voice to the dialogue.
“New Yorkers should not be driving over bridges that are literally falling apart because Kathy Hochul has neglected core infrastructure while spending billions on illegal migrants and a bailout for NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani,” Blakeman is quoted as saying in a LongIsland.com report.
Of course, this is a gubernatorial election year, and Blakeman is Hochul’s challenger for the New York State governor’s seat.
Then again, Suffolk County bridges have had their share of issues over the past year, including weight limit reductions on the Smith Point Bridge in November and an emergency closure of the Robert Moses Bridge after a charter boat captain reported falling concrete in July at the height of summer. Between the two incidents, the Shinnecock Inlet Bridge suffered its share of woes after heavy rains in October, and the Ponquogue Bridge in Hampton Bays experienced weight restrictions of its own this time last year.
