Ponquogue Bridge in Hampton Bays closed until further notice, officials say

Following a routine inspection, Ponquogue Bridge in Hampton Bays has been closed indefinitely, officials said Friday.

A New York State Department of Transportation inspection of the bridge Thursday revealed “deterioration of the concrete girders,” department spokesperson Stephen Canzoneri said in an emailed statement Friday afternoon.

“In the interest of safety, the bridge has been closed pending further analysis,” he added.

The bridge connects the mainland to Dune Road, known for its beaches and frequent flooding. Neither cars nor pedestrians are allowed to cross until further notice, officials said.

The state DOT, which inspects the bridge, and Suffolk County, which owns it, will continue to review data from Thursday’s inspection this weekend to determine “the path forward” regarding both repairs and a timeline for reopening, Ryan Murphy, the Southampton Town emergency management administrator, said in a phone interview Friday. He said the town, county and state have been “in the loop together” and may have “a better handle on” a timeline and plan for reopening the bridge next week.

“As of a little while ago, the state was out there with some trucks assisting the county with the closure of the bridge, while the county gets the barricades and cones and signage,” Murphy said. “We're also coordinating with the county to try and get some additional signage out to notify people in advance.”

Murphy added that alerts have been sent to a Dune Road notification group and that he spoke with Suffolk County Legis. Ann Welker (D-Southampton) to get signage about the closure posted on Sunrise Highway.

Calls to Welker’s office were not immediately returned Friday afternoon.

Murphy suggested those who must access Dune Road take bridges to the west in Quogue and Westhampton.

“Nothing’s cut off totally,” he said. “It’s just a bit longer of a drive to gain access. Even for things like the fire department, they're going to put plans into place, obviously, to work with some of their mutual aid partners to the west to respond to calls.”

Ten bridges across the Island have been deemed in “poor” condition by the state, two of which were closed due to safety concerns, Newsday previously reported. Ponquogue Bridge was not in this grouping.

With Joe Werkmeister