10 Long Island bridges in 'poor' condition highlight lack of money for repairs, experts say
Ten bridges, together carrying around 200,000 vehicles daily, are in "poor" condition on Long Island, according to new data from the New York State Department of Transportation.
State inspectors first flagged five of them as far back as 2020 but they remain in poor condition, highlighting what experts and local officials say is a lack of sufficient funding for maintenance, especially for bridges maintained by counties, towns, villages and the Long Island Rail Road.
Two bridges have been closed for safety reasons and one is closed for repairs, but the "poor" designation, based on federal standards, does not by itself mean a bridge is unsafe.
The rating "means that those bridges require repairs or modifications to restore their condition or improve their functionality," New York DOT spokesman Glenn Blain said. Blain said in an email New York has one of the most rigorous bridge inspection programs in the United States.
"If a bridge were deemed unsafe, it would be closed," he wrote.
The busiest poor-rated bridge is on the Northern State Parkway over an off-ramp from the Long Island Expressway in East Hills, with average daily traffic of more than 100,000 vehicles, according to state data, which indicated the bridge received the rating in November.
Another poor-rated bridge, carrying Lincoln Avenue over Sunrise Highway in Bohemia/Sayville, has already been repaired and will likely receive an improved score on its next inspection, according to the DOT.
Construction is underway to fix the Webster Avenue bridge over the LIRR in Manhasset and it is currently closed, according to the Town of North Hempstead.
Likewise, Suffolk County said it plans to remedy two poor-rated bridges: a permanent repair is planned for the Nicolls Road bridge over Portion Road in Farmingville and Holtsville, and construction of a new Smith Point Bridge will begin in 2026 that would connect Shirley to Fire Island and Smith Point County Park.
County officials had said in 2023 construction of that bridge would start last year, but there were delays caused by design negotiations and environmental assessments related to the nearby Wertheim National Wildlife Refuge, Public Works Commissioner Charles Bartha told Newsday.
Other bridges rated as "poor" in the latest DOT data, released last month, include a Sunrise Highway bridge over North Road in Hampton Bays, a Seawane Drive bridge over Auerbach Channel in Hewlett Harbor and a Park Road Bridge in Connetquot State Park. Two other bridges over LIRR lines — on Cranberry Hole Road in East Hampton and on River Avenue in Eastport — are both poor-rated and currently closed.
New York bridges are inspected component-by-component at least every two years and receive an overall score from one (worst) to nine (best). The DOT published data only indicates whether a bridge received a "poor" rating — that is, a score of four or below — but it does not provide reasons for the rating. Many types of problems can cause a poor rating, from deteriorated sidewalks and parapets to structural issues with the supports or underground structures. Newsday has submitted public records requests for more details about the bridges in question.
Long Island's bridge conditions are far better than the rest of the state and nation, but both the Island and the state saw an uptick in bridges with a poor rating last year. Statewide, the number increased from about 1,580 bridges in 2023 to 1,660 in 2024 — or from about 9% to 9.4% of all bridges — reversing a decade-long trend of improving bridge conditions. On the Island, the number increased from 8 to 10 — which is still less than 2% of bridges.
On the other hand, "good" bridges on Long Island have declined from 269 in 2016 to 193 in mid-2024, while the number with a "fair" rating increased from 400 to 495 over the same period, according to separate data the DOT submitted to the federal government. "Fair" means a score of five or six, while "good" means seven or higher.
Counties, towns and villages own a majority of the "poor"-rated bridges statewide and six of the 10 on Long Island, including three they maintain in conjunction with the LIRR.
Local governments are sometimes under-equipped to make repairs, according to Marc Herbst, president of the Long Island Contractors’ Association. Herbst said some Long Island bridges being in poor condition for five years is "a concern," but added he was not surprised.
A state comptroller report last July estimated the cost of repairing all the state's bridges at $28.7 billion. The bipartisan infrastructure law, which then-President Joe Biden signed in late 2021, is bringing about $13.5 billion in federal funds to the state over five years and New York State’s Bridge NY program has provided about $1.7 billion to local governments specifically for bridge repairs since 2016.
But despite support from federal and state governments, local authorities face challenges undertaking long-term infrastructure repairs while maintaining day-to-day operations, the report said.
"Bridges are incredibly expensive to engineer and construct," Brookhaven Highway Superintendent Dan Losquadro said.
Losquadro said replacing a bridge can cost nearly as much as his town's entire pavement budget.
A recent report by TRIP, a Washington, D.C.-based transportation nonprofit, found nationwide inflation in highway construction was around 40% from early 2022 to early 2024.
Bartha, the Suffolk commissioner, called inflation in the construction industry "challenging" but said it hasn't been as high locally as TRIP estimated, whereas Losquardo put the figure at around 35% to 40% since 2020.
The governor's proposed budget for the upcoming fiscal year, released Jan. 21, includes an $800 million boost to the state's $34.1 billion five-year capital plan — specifically to make up for inflation on state-owned infrastructure projects. However, the budget contains no inflation-related increase in infrastructure aid to local governments — with the Bridge NY program continuing at $200 million.
"Putting [$800 million] extra dollars into state projects to make up for that shortfall — with no additional investment in our local roadways — is just egregious," Losquadro said.
A spokesperson for Hochul did not directly answer Newsday's question about the extra inflation-related spending, but said in an email the governor "looks forward to working with the legislature to pass much-needed infrastructure funding."
For three poor-rated vehicular bridges over LIRR tracks — in East Hampton, Eastport and Manhasset — towns are responsible for maintaining the roadway and walkway over the bridge, while the MTA is responsible for the underlying structure.
The perennially cash-strapped MTA is dealing with about 80 LIRR bridges, tunnels and other structures "at a critical point of deterioration," Newsday reported last month. It announced plans to rehabilitate or rebuild 11 bridges in its 2025-29 capital plan, but it has not yet decided on which bridges, according to spokeswoman Laura Cala-Rauch.
Bridge closures can create lengthy detours for drivers. The closed bridge in Manhasset leaves about a mile of LIRR track without any crossings in a densely populated area. Likewise, the closure of the Cranberry Hole Road bridge in East Hampton over a year ago has meant longer daily trips for residents in Amagansett. Three other Long Island bridges have posted weight limits because of their poor condition.
The further a bridge slides into disrepair, the more expensive it can be to fix, according to Professor Rigoberto Burgueño, chairman of Stony Brook University’s civil engineering department.
"If you intervene [when a bridge is] at a seven, the cost may be very small. But if you let [a bridge] slide to a five, then the repair may cost a lot," Burgueño said, referring to the rating scale.
Long Island’s relatively low snowfall, which means less salting of bridge decks, may be one reason bridges here are in better shape than the state overall, according to Dan Loscalzo, government relations chair for the American Society of Civil Engineers on Long Island. The Island also has less heavy trucking than other areas of the state, he said.
Sometimes, increases in the number of "poor" bridges occur as groups of bridges that were all built around the same time fall into disrepair together, Loscalzo said.
But the statewide uptick in "poor" bridges in 2024 points to a need for more state support to local governments for infrastructure spending, said Fred Hiffa, a former first deputy commissioner of the state Department of Transportation and lobbyist for the Association of Town Highway Superintendents.
"It's a huge red flag," he said.
Herbst said he hopes for broader collaboration between the state, local governments and agencies to repair the bridges.
"The smaller locality, they either don't have the financial ability to do it, or the technical staff that has the understanding or the ability to do that," he said.
Bundling multiple bridges for repairs at the same time could cut costs, he said.
With Arielle Martinez
Ten bridges, together carrying around 200,000 vehicles daily, are in "poor" condition on Long Island, according to new data from the New York State Department of Transportation.
State inspectors first flagged five of them as far back as 2020 but they remain in poor condition, highlighting what experts and local officials say is a lack of sufficient funding for maintenance, especially for bridges maintained by counties, towns, villages and the Long Island Rail Road.
Two bridges have been closed for safety reasons and one is closed for repairs, but the "poor" designation, based on federal standards, does not by itself mean a bridge is unsafe.
The rating "means that those bridges require repairs or modifications to restore their condition or improve their functionality," New York DOT spokesman Glenn Blain said. Blain said in an email New York has one of the most rigorous bridge inspection programs in the United States.
WHAT NEWSDAY FOUND
- Ten bridges, together carrying around 200,000 vehicles daily, are in "poor" condition on Long Island, including five that were flagged as far back as 2020.
- The "poor" designation, does not by itself mean a bridge is unsafe, but the further a bridge slips into disrepair, the more expensive the costs of repair and the greater the likelihood of it being closed.
- Both Long Island and the state overall saw an uptick in bridges with a poor rating last year.
"If a bridge were deemed unsafe, it would be closed," he wrote.
The busiest poor-rated bridge is on the Northern State Parkway over an off-ramp from the Long Island Expressway in East Hills, with average daily traffic of more than 100,000 vehicles, according to state data, which indicated the bridge received the rating in November.
Another poor-rated bridge, carrying Lincoln Avenue over Sunrise Highway in Bohemia/Sayville, has already been repaired and will likely receive an improved score on its next inspection, according to the DOT.
Construction is underway to fix the Webster Avenue bridge over the LIRR in Manhasset and it is currently closed, according to the Town of North Hempstead.
Likewise, Suffolk County said it plans to remedy two poor-rated bridges: a permanent repair is planned for the Nicolls Road bridge over Portion Road in Farmingville and Holtsville, and construction of a new Smith Point Bridge will begin in 2026 that would connect Shirley to Fire Island and Smith Point County Park.
County officials had said in 2023 construction of that bridge would start last year, but there were delays caused by design negotiations and environmental assessments related to the nearby Wertheim National Wildlife Refuge, Public Works Commissioner Charles Bartha told Newsday.
Other bridges rated as "poor" in the latest DOT data, released last month, include a Sunrise Highway bridge over North Road in Hampton Bays, a Seawane Drive bridge over Auerbach Channel in Hewlett Harbor and a Park Road Bridge in Connetquot State Park. Two other bridges over LIRR lines — on Cranberry Hole Road in East Hampton and on River Avenue in Eastport — are both poor-rated and currently closed.
New York bridges are inspected component-by-component at least every two years and receive an overall score from one (worst) to nine (best). The DOT published data only indicates whether a bridge received a "poor" rating — that is, a score of four or below — but it does not provide reasons for the rating. Many types of problems can cause a poor rating, from deteriorated sidewalks and parapets to structural issues with the supports or underground structures. Newsday has submitted public records requests for more details about the bridges in question.
Long Island's bridge conditions are far better than the rest of the state and nation, but both the Island and the state saw an uptick in bridges with a poor rating last year. Statewide, the number increased from about 1,580 bridges in 2023 to 1,660 in 2024 — or from about 9% to 9.4% of all bridges — reversing a decade-long trend of improving bridge conditions. On the Island, the number increased from 8 to 10 — which is still less than 2% of bridges.
On the other hand, "good" bridges on Long Island have declined from 269 in 2016 to 193 in mid-2024, while the number with a "fair" rating increased from 400 to 495 over the same period, according to separate data the DOT submitted to the federal government. "Fair" means a score of five or six, while "good" means seven or higher.
Majority are county, municipality maintained
Counties, towns and villages own a majority of the "poor"-rated bridges statewide and six of the 10 on Long Island, including three they maintain in conjunction with the LIRR.
Local governments are sometimes under-equipped to make repairs, according to Marc Herbst, president of the Long Island Contractors’ Association. Herbst said some Long Island bridges being in poor condition for five years is "a concern," but added he was not surprised.
A state comptroller report last July estimated the cost of repairing all the state's bridges at $28.7 billion. The bipartisan infrastructure law, which then-President Joe Biden signed in late 2021, is bringing about $13.5 billion in federal funds to the state over five years and New York State’s Bridge NY program has provided about $1.7 billion to local governments specifically for bridge repairs since 2016.
But despite support from federal and state governments, local authorities face challenges undertaking long-term infrastructure repairs while maintaining day-to-day operations, the report said.
"Bridges are incredibly expensive to engineer and construct," Brookhaven Highway Superintendent Dan Losquadro said.

Workers repairing the Webster Avenue overpass in Manhasset last week. Credit: Newsday/Drew Singh
Losquadro said replacing a bridge can cost nearly as much as his town's entire pavement budget.
A recent report by TRIP, a Washington, D.C.-based transportation nonprofit, found nationwide inflation in highway construction was around 40% from early 2022 to early 2024.
Bartha, the Suffolk commissioner, called inflation in the construction industry "challenging" but said it hasn't been as high locally as TRIP estimated, whereas Losquardo put the figure at around 35% to 40% since 2020.

The bridge over the Long Island Rail Road track at Cranberry Hole Road in Amagansett on Wednesday. Credit: Gordon M. Grant
The governor's proposed budget for the upcoming fiscal year, released Jan. 21, includes an $800 million boost to the state's $34.1 billion five-year capital plan — specifically to make up for inflation on state-owned infrastructure projects. However, the budget contains no inflation-related increase in infrastructure aid to local governments — with the Bridge NY program continuing at $200 million.
"Putting [$800 million] extra dollars into state projects to make up for that shortfall — with no additional investment in our local roadways — is just egregious," Losquadro said.
A spokesperson for Hochul did not directly answer Newsday's question about the extra inflation-related spending, but said in an email the governor "looks forward to working with the legislature to pass much-needed infrastructure funding."

The corner of Brookwold Drive and Webster Avenue in Plandome Heights where the overpass is closed. Credit: Newsday/Drew Singh
For three poor-rated vehicular bridges over LIRR tracks — in East Hampton, Eastport and Manhasset — towns are responsible for maintaining the roadway and walkway over the bridge, while the MTA is responsible for the underlying structure.
The perennially cash-strapped MTA is dealing with about 80 LIRR bridges, tunnels and other structures "at a critical point of deterioration," Newsday reported last month. It announced plans to rehabilitate or rebuild 11 bridges in its 2025-29 capital plan, but it has not yet decided on which bridges, according to spokeswoman Laura Cala-Rauch.
Deterioration can affect daily life, raise costs
Bridge closures can create lengthy detours for drivers. The closed bridge in Manhasset leaves about a mile of LIRR track without any crossings in a densely populated area. Likewise, the closure of the Cranberry Hole Road bridge in East Hampton over a year ago has meant longer daily trips for residents in Amagansett. Three other Long Island bridges have posted weight limits because of their poor condition.
The further a bridge slides into disrepair, the more expensive it can be to fix, according to Professor Rigoberto Burgueño, chairman of Stony Brook University’s civil engineering department.
"If you intervene [when a bridge is] at a seven, the cost may be very small. But if you let [a bridge] slide to a five, then the repair may cost a lot," Burgueño said, referring to the rating scale.

The further a bridge slides into disrepair, the more expensive it can be to fix, said Stony Brook University professor Rigoberto Burgueño. Credit: Newsday/Drew Singh
Long Island’s relatively low snowfall, which means less salting of bridge decks, may be one reason bridges here are in better shape than the state overall, according to Dan Loscalzo, government relations chair for the American Society of Civil Engineers on Long Island. The Island also has less heavy trucking than other areas of the state, he said.
A need for repairs
Sometimes, increases in the number of "poor" bridges occur as groups of bridges that were all built around the same time fall into disrepair together, Loscalzo said.
But the statewide uptick in "poor" bridges in 2024 points to a need for more state support to local governments for infrastructure spending, said Fred Hiffa, a former first deputy commissioner of the state Department of Transportation and lobbyist for the Association of Town Highway Superintendents.
"It's a huge red flag," he said.
Herbst said he hopes for broader collaboration between the state, local governments and agencies to repair the bridges.
"The smaller locality, they either don't have the financial ability to do it, or the technical staff that has the understanding or the ability to do that," he said.
Bundling multiple bridges for repairs at the same time could cut costs, he said.
With Arielle Martinez

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Put a little love in your heart with the NewsdayTV Valentine's Day Special! From Love Lane in Mattituck, NewsdayTV's Elisa DiStefano and Newsday deputy lifestyle editor Meghan Giannotta have your look at ways to celebrate Valentine's Day this year.