Bridge work to start on Barnum Isle

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For weeks, electric signs announced that the long-awaited reconstruction of the bridge over Barnum Channel on Long Beach Road would begin on Nov. 14. Then, on the morning of Nov. 14, black tarps were thrown over the signs, and no construction was seen.

“I saw the signs and called the [Nassau County] Department of Public Works,” said County Legislator Denise Ford, a Republican from Long Beach. “I was told the beginning of construction would be the removal of utilities, National Grid, Verizon and PSEG. Grace Industries, the contractor that will be doing the work, is still working on its construction schedule.”

The project was set to begin in October, but Ford said that the Nassau County Interim Finance Authority needed to review it, which caused the delay.

According to Mary Studdert, a DPW spokeswoman, the 70-year-old bridge was inspected six years ago and found to have structural problems. The county then instituted a reduced-load limit for vehicles of 20 tons as a temporary safety measure.

The bridge has two spans, one northbound and one southbound. The southbound span will be demolished and rebuilt first, with traffic diverted to the other span. The sidewalks will be demolished and made part of the road, allowing two lanes in each direction. The median between the two spans will be taken down as well.

“It will be narrow,” Ford said of the temporary bridge that will still be in use. It will be “up to construction standards, but narrow.”

First, workers will remove the concrete pilings that the bridge sits on, Ford said. Then they can start making repairs and constructing a new bridge. The structure will be made in a factory, she said, so “we don’t have to worry about the cold weather . . . even if it’s snowing.”

Some trucks will be rerouted because of the new weight restrictions, Ford said, and there will be new traffic patterns and signage.

Deputy County Executive Rob Walker said that the plans account for pedestrian access through the area during construction. There will be detours to move pedestrians to the side of the bridge that is not under construction. To date, Walker said, there is nothing in the plans about changes to NICE bus schedules, school buses or emergency vehicles. He also said he knew of no call for police at the site. Although he does not see anything in the plans, Walker said, the county would make any required changes in signal work at night to minimize driver confusion.

When the southbound side is completed, traffic will be moved to the new span, and the northbound side will be taken down.

The project is expected to cost $9.6 million, with as much as $7.67 million to be reimbursed by the federal government. “We have the money to replace it now,” Ford said. “We need to go through this pain to get it done. If we don’t do it now, we have to turn the money back in. It’s going to be difficult getting it again. Meanwhile, the bridge will be getting older.”

The project is expected to take 18 months to complete.