Thursday, October 1, 2026
To the chagrin of many motorists, the New York state Department of Transportation has again announced that the Loop Parkway drawbridge will be fully closed to vehicles during off-peak, midday travel times on Tuesday, March 22. DOT officials said the midday full, eastbound and westbound closure between the hours of 9:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. is necessary, as the agency continues to make preventive maintenance repairs that were undertaken last week and resulted in a single-lane closure for several days.
The drawbridge will remain in operation for mariners. According to the DOT, the maintenance repairs are needed to help assure the continued, safe operation of the 75 year-old span. Local emergency service providers, officials and area schools have been notified of this midday off-peak bridge closure, and officials said that motorists are being warned in advance of the closures via electronic roadway signs.
The DOT said it is advising motorists to use the Long Beach Road or Atlantic Beach bridges as alternative routes during the full, midday closure. As with most road and bridge projects, this bridge repair operation may be cancelled, postponed, or prolonged due to inclement weather.
It is the latest repair project to impact motorists. Many have complained that the DOT does not adequately notify drivers in advance of the closures, saying that the electronic signs are not enough to inform residents. In addition to the single lane closure last week, the DOT closed the drawbridge on Jan. 28 for four days for emergency repairs, after DOT officials said that one of the motors on the bridge was malfunctioning.
In January, DOT spokeswoman Eileen Peters said that one of the drive motors allowing the bridge to lower and lift was experiencing an electrical malfunction. The repairs were ongoing, she said, and the agency said it is again making preventive maintenance repairs to ensure the safety of drivers. In October, the bridge was closed for a week when engineers made repairs to corroding steel that hold the bridge’s counterweights in place.
The drawbridge is considered one of the busiest bridges in the state, with 30,000 vehicles passing the span in both directions daily. It opens for more than 5,000 boats a year. Although electronic signs were posted near the major thoroughfare, many motorists said that the single lane closure was a major inconvenience last week.
For up-to-date traffic and travel information, motorists should call 511 or visit www.511NY.org or www.511NY.mobi. In addition, travel information can be obtained from the INFORM Transportation Management Center cameras at www.INFORMNY.com and on hand held communication devices at www.INFORMNY.mobi.
