Summary
The Great South Bay Bridge [1] is a bridge on the southwest side of Suffolk County, New York, on Long Island. It connects the Robert Moses Causeway from Long Island's mainland over the Great South Bay, connecting to Captree and Jones Beach islands. It serves as access via the Robert Moses Causeway to both of the downstream crossings, the State Boat Channel Bridge and the Fire Island Inlet Bridge, also leading visitors and on-lookers to either the Fire Island Lighthouse or the Robert Moses State Park.
Great South Bay Bridges | |
|---|---|
 The bridge | |
| Coordinates | 40°40′34″N 73°16′27″W / 40.67611°N 73.27417°W |
| Carries |  Robert Moses Causeway |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Twin through arch spans |
| Total length | 10,519.5 feet (3,206.3 m) |
| Width | 26.6 feet (8.1 m) |
| Longest span | 600 feet (180 m) |
| Clearance above | 16.2 feet (4.9 m) |
| Statistics | |
| Daily traffic | 7,659 (as of 2007) |
| Location | |
 | |
History edit
The bridge was originally a single span, that opened in 1954 and was called the Captree Bridge.[2] Today it carries southbound traffic.
In 1964, a second parallel span opened to traffic and carried northbound traffic. This brought much needed relief to traffic heading back from Jones Beach, Robert Moses, and Captree parks. The bridges are through trusses and are painted a traditional "bridge green".
In 1997, a major rebuild of the deck of the older span began and was completed in 2000. Safety compliant railings were installed on the older span. In 2013–2014, the northbound span received upgraded railings. Major improvements NYSDOT is considering is a cycle/pedestrian path shared with the northbound lanes. NYSDOT has not released any official plans.
See also edit
References edit
External links edit
- Great South Bay Bridge (Weather Underground.com)
- Great South Bay Bridge (Historic Bridges of the United States)
- Robert Moses Causeway @ NYCRoads.com