The LIRR Webster Avenue Bridge Replacement Project in Manhasset has a major update.
According to the MTA Vice President Andrew Wilson, contractors removed and replaced the third and final span of the bridge. A span is typically referred to as the distance between on pier or column to the next.
“What we kind of then did this weekend, is we removed the center span, removed the columns holding up the center span [and] removed partials of the foundations holding up the center span,” said Wilson, the project executive.
Originally constructed in 1898, the Webster Avenue Bridge is now one of the oldest bridges on Long Island. Construction of a new bridge was officially announced in November by the Flower Hill Board of Trustees.
In 2022, New York State’s Department of Transportation gave it a “poor” rating, meaning it needed to be closely monitored.
Construction began in early January and is expected to be completed in October. Webster Avenue between Brookwold Drive and Pinewood Road has been closed since the start of the project and is expected not to open until the new bridge’s completion.
Removing and replacing the spans was one of the most important objectives for the project.
According to Wilson, the new bridge will “have a proper walkway. It’ll have proper sight distance as you approach it; you can see if cars are coming. It’ll be structurally built to code, and it’ll be much easier for the railroad to maintain.”
Along with this milestone, the project will improve the bridge’s structure, replace curbs and sidewalks, and construct sturdier walls. It will cost an estimated $28 million.
