Weight restriction placed on Smith Point Bridge after inspection finds 'structural deterioration'

The Smith Point Bridge, a span in Shirley that had been designated as being in poor condition, has a truck weight limit after a state inspection “revealed structural deterioration,” Suffolk County officials said Sunday.

Suffolk County has placed a 3-ton truck weight limit on the drawbridge, which is already set to be replaced, officials said. The constraint will be in effect until further notice.

The bridge takes travelers on William Floyd Parkway over Narrow Bay from Shirley to Smith Point County Park on the eastern end of Fire Island.

“This temporary restriction comes as Suffolk County continues its ongoing planning for the construction of a new bridge to ensure long-term safety and reliability for residents and visitors,” said county spokesman Michael Martino in a statement.

The weight limitation followed a routine state Department of Transportation inspection that uncovered structural deterioration, officials said.

Built in 1959, the Smith Point Bridge was found to have been “structurally outdated and doesn’t meet modern safety, environmental, or load-bearing standards,” the county has said on its website. The span is troubled by several issues, including declining concrete, worn steel parts and vulnerability to flooding.

State inspectors last December identified the bridge as being in poor condition, indicating it needed repairs or other changes, state officials previously told Newsday.

Construction on the new fixed bridge is set to start next year, according to the county website. The project is set to be finished by 2029.

Newsday's Peter Gill contributed to this story.

By Tiffany Cusaac-Smith

tiffany.cusaac-smith@newsday.com@T_Cusaac

Tiffany Cusaac-Smith is a general assignment reporter for Newsday. She previously worked at USA TODAY and is an alum of Howard University.