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Partly Cloudy Bridge rebuilding raises concerns
Construction this fall will limit traffic between Island Park and Oceanside
Plans to demolish and rebuild the Barnum Island bridge, between Oceanside and Island Park, have raised concerns among business owners and residents.
According to Mary Studdert, spokeswoman for the Nassau County Department of Public Works, an inspection about six years ago identified structural issues with the bridge, which connects Oceanside and Island Park across the Barnum Channel. The county instituted a reduced load requirement of 20 tons as a temporary measure.
“There are two separate bridges, northbound and southbound,” Studdert wrote in an email. “One bridge will be demolished and reconstructed at a time. Traffic will be moved to the other bridge, with two lanes in each direction restriped using the shoulder area.”
The project is expected to cost $9.6 million, with as much as $7.67 million to be reimbursed by the federal government. The county’s request for proposals expired on March 24. Construction is expected to start this fall, and take 18 months.
Asked about how emergency services, such as ambulances, would get in and out of Island Park during that time, Studdert wrote, “We always make it a priority to make sure there will be no interference for emergency vehicles.”
There is also a plan to replace parts of the Loop Parkway drawbridge, which connects Point Lookout to the Meadowbrook State Parkway. Construction is expected to start this spring and finish in November 2017. County Legislator Denise Ford said that both projects are funded by grant money, and must be completed within a certain time frame. “It may be 10 years before we’re able to get federal funding [again],” said Ford. “The [Barnum Island] bridge is old.”
She added that she would hold meetings with engineers and emergency services as well as community members to discuss plans, in the hope of keeping the projects from creating traffic nightmares, and minimizing the inconvenience for residents and visitors. Ford said she hoped that residents and businesses would understand that repairing the bridge is a safety measure.
