Underneath the Cranberry Hole Road bridge, the timbers are about a foot square and black with creosote. They have carried the road over the Long Island Rail Road's Montauk branch since 1895. Late last month a reporter from The East Hampton Star followed Councilman David Lys and Highway Superintendent Steve Lynch down a trail beneath the span. They found graffiti, invasive plants and deer bones. Then a commuter train passed under them, and the tracks hummed.
That trip under the bridge was the first scene in the last chapter of the old span. According to the Star, the MTA plans to demolish the 131-foot bridge this winter, possibly in December. For Devon, Lazy Point and the bay side of Napeague, demolition doesn't end the detour. It begins the longest stretch of it. The replacement is not projected to carry traffic until March 2028, and the MTA says even that date could change.
Three and a Half Years Closed Before Demolition
The bridge closed in 2023. Demolition was scheduled for this winter, after the steps below.
- May 7, 2023. The town closes the bridge after a sizable hole opens in the road surface.
- July 2023. It closes again, this time to vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists, and it has stayed closed.
- January 2025. The MTA confirms the bridge will stay closed for the foreseeable future. Supervisor Kathee Burke-Gonzalez writes to State Senator Anthony Palumbo and Assemblyman Tommy John Schiavoni asking for help securing funding.
- July 2025. At a standing-room-only meeting of the Amagansett Citizens Advisory Committee, Schiavoni says the MTA is responsible for the bridge and that it is "now at the top of the list." He adds that "the pace is glacial."
- July 6, 2026. Governor Hochul announces an MTA contract to design and rebuild three East End bridges over the tracks: Cranberry Hole Road in Amagansett, Sagg Road in Sagaponack and River Avenue in Eastport.
- Late October 2026. Lys and Lynch inspect the stanchions, and the Star publishes the construction sequence through 2028.
The Star's report on the July 2025 meeting described who came. Once Schiavoni finished speaking, many of the unfamiliar faces got up and left together. They had made it clear they lived in the hamlet's easternmost reaches, Devon, Lazy Point and parts of Napeague, where losing the bridge had done the most harm.
Why a Bridge Built for Carriages Gave Out
The old bridge was rated for five tons, or 10,000 pounds. In the Star's October account, Lynch said the rating wasn't the problem:
"The problem was truckers ignoring the weight restrictions. Cement trucks went over. Dump trucks. Two years ago, a modular home crossed this span."
The damage showed on the deck. When the officials walked it, the asphalt over the wooden subfloor had long cracks running the width of the planks underneath. The governor's announcement said the same about all three timber bridges. Maintenance and temporary repairs had not kept up, and large, overweight vehicles crossing against the posted limits had weakened them further.
The replacement is designed for the traffic that broke the original. The new concrete span is rated for 80,000 pounds, eight times the old rating, and meets current New York State Department of Transportation standards. Schiavoni told the advisory committee that none of the three new bridges will have a weight restriction and that fire trucks will be able to cross.
The Way Around, Until Spring 2028
The Cranberry Hole Road bridge is the easiest way to reach the Lazy Point and Promised Land areas from the west, according to the Star. The detours in place since 2023 continue through construction:
- Abram's Landing Road is the MTA's designated detour and will remain so while work is underway.
- Napeague Meadow Road, which leaves Montauk Highway farther east, is the other route the town has advised for reaching Cranberry Hole Road.
- Since 2023, town notices have pointed motorists, cyclists and pedestrians to those same two roads for Cranberry Hole Road and Lazy Point.
The longer route also affects emergency response. In her January 2025 letter, Burke-Gonzalez wrote that the closure had "disrupted local traffic patterns, impacted residents' daily commutes, and hindered access for emergency services." The Star noted that Cranberry Hole Road is the most direct route from Amagansett to an area of Napeague State Park devastated by the southern pine beetle. If a brush fire broke out there, fire departments would have to take a longer route.
What "Nine Months" Became
At the July 2025 meeting, someone asked Schiavoni for a timeline. He said no. He did say the MTA had told him "once construction starts, it's nine months to finish." The sequence published this fall is longer, because the work happens in seasons.
| Phase | Projected timing | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Demolition of the 1895 span | This winter, possibly December 2026 | East Hampton Star, Oct. 29, 2026 |
| New abutments replace the timber supports | Next summer | East Hampton Star |
| Crane sets the concrete span | Next fall | East Hampton Star |
| Bridge opens to traffic | March 2028, subject to change | East Hampton Star |
| Design completion, three-bridge contract | January 2027 | Governor's announcement, July 6, 2026 |
| Completion of all three bridges | By July 2028 | Governor's announcement |
If demolition happens in December, a March 2028 opening means about fifteen months of construction. Between demolition and the fall crane lift, the site will be an open gap over the tracks for a full summer while the new abutments go in. The governor's office puts the budget for all three bridges at $51 million.
What the Work Sounds Like From Next Door
The MTA's work schedule matters most to the houses closest to the bridge. Crews work weekdays from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The MTA may schedule overnight or weekend work if needed, and it has pledged to notify the town first. A notification letter will go to nearby property owners when work begins.
The project covers more than the bridge itself. It includes milling, paving, curb and sidewalk work on the approaches, plus a new drainage system with leaching basins. The work already has a cast of contractors. During the October visit, an MTA flagman stood on the closed span while Asplundh crews trimmed limbs near the electrical wires.
A Wider Road, and Room for More Trains Below
The bridge that reopens will look different. The roadway grows from about 21 feet to 32 feet and adds room for pedestrians and ADA access. The old bridge never had that, and it has been closed to people on foot since 2023.
The design also makes room under the bridge. Lys told the Star that the new span will have two tracks beneath it. "The M.T.A. just put a couple hundred million into their budget to add sidings to the Montauk line," he said. "With more sidings and track space, more trains can be run. That's one of the best things about this project; it's being designed for the future." He described the morning commuter train that passed during the visit as carrying "a couple hundred people" a day.
The bridge coming down this winter has a history of its own. At the 2025 meeting, an advisory committee member noted that the 1895 span is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Standing under the crisscrossed timber frame in October, Lys gave it a plainer farewell. "This bridge has worked long enough," he said. "Time for an update."
The Sagg Road bridge in Sagaponack is part of the same contract and is still open to traffic. River Avenue in Eastport has been closed since early 2024. Until spring 2028, the drive from Amagansett to Lazy Point will start on Abram's Landing Road.
Owners in Devon, Lazy Point and Napeague have new dates to plan around, from the work hours this winter to a possible reopening in spring 2028. The Jennifer Wilson Team follows East End projects like this one in our weekly market briefs. If you'd like updates as the schedule changes, along with listings from the eastern South Fork, sign up to have property listings delivered.
