Following an inspection, the New York State Department of Transportation and the Long Island Rail Road have closed the bridge at Cranberry Hole Road in Amagansett due to structural problems. It is the second closure of the bridge in less than two months.
East Hampton Town is working with both agencies to ensure timely repairs or to provide an alternative, according to a statement from Supervisor Peter Van Scoyoc's office on Saturday. Motorists and pedestrians must presently detour around the area.
Town officials had closed the bridge that crosses the railroad tracks on May 7 after a sizable hole had opened in it, among other gaps in the road's surface. Motorists, cyclists, and pedestrians were advised to use Abram's Landing Road or Napeague Meadow Road to access Cranberry Hole Road and Lazy Point.
According to the town, the bridge is owned by the L.I.R.R. The railroad asserts that the town owns it. It was constructed in 1895 and last had major repairs in 2007.
After its initial closure, town Highway Department officials began repairs on May 30 and the bridge was reopened on June 10, remaining open for less than three weeks before its second closure.
Signs posted warn of a five-ton weight limit, but they are apparently often ignored, Mr. Van Scoyoc told the Amagansett Citizens Advisory Committee last month.