Webster Avenue Bridge in Manhasset completed 4 months ahead of schedule and on budget, MTA says

The Webster Avenue Bridge in Manhasset — a 128-year-old overpass that provided passage for both vehicles and pedestrians but was past its prime — has been replaced with one that is safe and climate resilient, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority said.

The new span, which is typically traversed by more than 1,500 drivers and walkers a day, is now open, the MTA said in a news release Tuesday. During the summer, crews worked to demolish and substitute the 77-foot bridge that bears two traffic lanes plus a walkway across the LIRR’s Port Washington Branch, officials said.

The roughly $20 million project was finished four months before its 2026 deadline and on budget, according to the MTA.

"Replacing this 128-year-old bridge is an important step toward keeping Long Island Rail Road service safe and reliable in the long term," MTA Construction and Development President Jamie Torres-Springer said in the statement. "We’re proud to have finished the job on budget and ahead of schedule."

Constructed in 1897, the Webster Avenue Bridge had fallen into poor condition, Newsday reported, citing the state Department of Transportation. Although the span had a three-ton weight limit, heavy vehicles often navigated across the structure, officials previously said.

Work began in January and included replacing the old center span with a new, concrete one, transportation officials said.

The bridge now has wider lanes and allows for higher passage of traffic underneath, officials said. Workers also put in a drainage system to help stave off stormwater from hitting lower train tracks, the MTA said.

The nearby roads, walkways and retaining walls also were replaced to make the structure safer and improve severe weather resilience, officials said.

"Working closely with our partners at MTA Construction and Development we were able to replace a bridge that’s over a century old with minimal disruption to LIRR service on one of our busiest lines," LIRR President Rob Free said in the news release. "It's another example of how we are committed to building and maintaining a more resilient system that benefits the communities we serve."

Newsday's Joshua Needelman 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.