New bridge coming to Glen Cove Golf Club

Longtime members of the Glen Cove Golf Club have seen a variety of changes to the course throughout the years, one of the most consistent being alterations to the bridge linking the tee-off points of the 13th hole to its green. Plans to create a formal replacement have been in place for years, but the work never officially came to fruition. However, the City Council announced at a meeting on Dec. 27 that they are moving toward permanently replacing the bridge in the near future.

The bridge crosses over a stream that runs through the course. Salt water from the Long Island Sound flows in from the north and meets fresh water, which flows in from a stream beneath Lattingtown Road. Because the bridge is positioned toward the center of the length of the stream, the water, containing a mixture of both salt and fresh water, can become brackish.

Supporting the bridge are steadfast piles of rocks on the banks of the streams, as well as a trio of culvert pipes, which allow the water to flow from one side to the other. However, the limited space provided by these pipes for water flow causes it to be dammed rather easily by reeds and tree branches. When the pipes dam up, water can build up to the point where it completely overtakes the bridge, sometimes resulting in complete destruction. This has been a problem numerous times in the past.

A former New York City police officer, John Grella, the golf course’s manager, began working with the club in 2009. Even though he said the bridge “wiped out twice” since he’s been there, club members have never complained.

According to Mayor Tim Tenke, the most recent serious bridge wipeout occurred in 2012 during Hurricane Sandy, when the “pond level rose to such a degree that it knocked down [the] bridge.”

The bridge at the 13th hole has always been considered to be temporary since it was implemented following the storm. The city was granted funding for a new bridge as part of the FEMA recovery plan shortly after Sandy struck, Tenke said. “They had purchased a bridge for us to replace [the old one].” Tenke also explained that time is of the essence when it comes to the construction of the bridge because it needs to be installed in order for the city to request further funding from FEMA in the future. And the state-granted permit to install a new bridge will expire in 2020.

Fortunately, the new bridge has already been built, and only the process of installation remains. The city hired the LiRo Group, a construction engineering company, had been enlisted to help in the process of building and installing the bridge.

According to Mike Capobianco, an engineer with the LiRo, the new bridge will be entirely different from the current one. “The culvert pipes would all be removed,” he said. “The bridge will be on piers on opposite sides of the embankment and set on top of [them].”

Capobianco explained that it will take about a month to review all of the documents and get the project underway. The excavation itself will likely be done by contractors separate from the LiRo Group.