Ponquogue Bridge

Ponquogue Bridge
The Ponquogue Bridge built in 1986 hovers over the predecessor drawbridge span, which currently serves as a fishing pier.
Coordinates	40°50′38″N 72°30′04″W / 40.8439°N 72.5011°W / 40.8439; -72.5011Coordinates: 40°50′38″N 72°30′04″W / 40.8439°N 72.5011°W / 40.8439; -72.5011
Carries	2 lanes of County Route 32
Crosses	Shinnecock Bay
Locale	Hampton Bays, New York
Maintained by	Suffolk County Department of Public Works
ID number	3300520
Characteristics
Material	Concrete
Total length	2,812 feet (857 m)
Width	30 feet (9.1 m)
No. of spans	29
Clearance above	55 feet (17 m)
History
Construction end	1986
Construction cost	$14 million (1986 USD)
References

The Ponquogue Bridge is a 2,812-foot (857 m) long bridge over Shinnecock Bay in the hamlet of Hampton Bays, New York (within the town of Southampton). Maintained by the Department of Works for Suffolk County, the 29-span bridge carries two lanes of County Route 32 over the bay, connecting Hampton Bays to the eastern end of Westhampton Island. The bridge, which is made of concrete, has a 55-foot (17 m) vertical clearance above Shinnecock Bay. Constructed in 1986 at the cost of $14 million, the bridge replaced an older span over the bay, which was a 1,000-foot (300 m) long wooden drawbridge built in 1930. The former Ponquogue Bridge currently serves as a fishing pier under the current span.

In 1976, the original Ponquogue Bridge had its weight limit on the structure reduced from 15 tons to 8 tons due to the neglect condition the bridge had attained. Timbers that sustained the bridge were rotting away, which was part of making the bridge harder to maintain. Discussions between Suffolk County and the United States Coast Guard made it hard to determine the exact location of a new bridge, which was discussed since 1973. In 1977, the county applied for a new bridge to be constructed 300 feet (91 m) from the original structure, costing $6 million (1976 USD) and designed as a bulb-shaped plan. The Coast Guard found that at least 3.5 acres (1.4 ha) of wetlands would be affected by this new structure and that any proposal for a building permit would be denied. By February 1980, the county resubmitted a proposal that would reduce it to 1.5 acres (0.61 ha) and also cost $14 million (1980 USD).

The Coast Guard called in an engineering firm from New Jersey to design alternatives to the county's proposal, which would attempt to prevent damage to the wetlands. The new structure called for would have approaches 800 feet (240 m) shorter and was eventually accepted by the town board for Southampton in 1980 on a 3-2 vote. This new span, which would be 55 feet (17 m) high, was deemed ridiculous by one local, who claimed that they should choose to only replace the drawbridge, which would cost about $2 million.