Loop Parkway drawbridge reopens early

Work on the Loop Parkway drawbridge, which was scheduled to reopen Wednesday at 7 a.m., went better than expected - and, as a result, the road was reopened Tuesday at 5:55 a.m., the state Department of Transportation said.

"We're very happy about the work," spokeswoman Eileen Peters said. "Everything went very well."

No doubt residents of Point Lookout, Lido Beach and eastern Long Beach are relieved at the developments. The parkway and bridge are the main link between the barrier island communities and the Meadowbrook Parkway, the quickest and fastest way to get to mainland Long Island. Since the bridge was closed for a major repair project late last week, those residents have had to use the Long Beach or Atlantic Beach bridges.

The rehabilitation was to reinforce the steel that holds the 50,000-ton counterweights that are crucial to operation of the bascule bridge. The Loop is the busiest bascule bridge in New York, the DOT said, with between 5,000 and 6,000 openings per year. The bridge had been closed since Friday.