Atlantic Beach Bridge
Encyclopedia
The Atlantic Beach Bridge is a 153 feet (46.6 m) long toll
drawbridge
connecting Lawrence
(SR-878
) and Atlantic Beach
(Park Street), NY
while passing over the west end of Reynolds Channel
. The bridge also provides direct access to the Rockaway Peninsula
via Seagirt Boulevard.
The toll is $2.00 (USD
) in each direction as of January 1, 2007. E-ZPass
is not accepted. An annual decal for Nassau County residents is $130.00 USD.
Bridge Authority, which was created by the New York Legislature
in 1945 to manage the bridge. Though the construction costs of the bridge have long since been paid off, the tolls remain. A 1999 audit of the agency by New York State Comptroller
Carl McCall
found many instances of patronage and mismanagement. The authority failed to seek competitive work for engineering work. In 1997, 71% of the bridges budget was spent on personnel.
Toll bridge
A toll bridge is a bridge over which traffic may pass upon payment of a toll, or fee.- History :The practice of collecting tolls on bridges probably harks back to the days of ferry crossings where people paid a fee to be ferried across stretches of water. As boats became impractical to carry large...
drawbridge
Drawbridge
A drawbridge is a type of movable bridge typically associated with the entrance of a castle surrounded by a moat. The term is often used to describe all different types of movable bridges, like bascule bridges and lift bridges.-Castle drawbridges:...
connecting Lawrence
Lawrence, Nassau County, New York
Lawrence is a village in Nassau County, New York in the USA. As of the United States 2010 Census, the village population was 6,483.The Village of Lawrence is in the southwest corner of the Town of Hempstead, adjoining the border with the New York City borough of Queens to the west and near the...
(SR-878
New York State Route 878
New York State Route 878 is a state highway in the U.S. state of New York, forming the Nassau Expressway. The route exists in two sections connected by Rockaway Boulevard and Rockaway Turnpike, maintained in part by New York City, the New York State Department of Transportation , and Nassau...
) and Atlantic Beach
Atlantic Beach, New York
Atlantic Beach is an affluent village off the South Shore of Long Island in the Town of Hempstead, Nassau County, New York. It is located on Long Beach Barrier Island, one of the outer barrier islands which it shares with Long Beach, East Atlantic Beach, Atlantic Beach Estates, Lido Beach and Point...
(Park Street), NY
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
while passing over the west end of Reynolds Channel
Reynolds Channel
Reynolds Channel is a strait in Nassau County, New York which separates a barrier island that contains the City of Long Beach and the villages of Atlantic Beach and Lido Beach from Long Island and Barnum Island. The channel begins at the East Rockaway Inlet and ends at Point Lookout where it merges...
. The bridge also provides direct access to the Rockaway Peninsula
Rockaway, Queens
The Rockaway Peninsula, informally The Rockaways, is the name of a peninsula of Long Island, all of which is located within the New York City borough of Queens. A popular summer resort area since the 1830s, Rockaway has become a mixture of lower, middle, and upper-class neighborhoods...
via Seagirt Boulevard.
The toll is $2.00 (USD
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
) in each direction as of January 1, 2007. E-ZPass
E-ZPass
E-ZPass is an electronic toll-collection system used on most tolled roads, bridges, and tunnels in the northeastern US, south to Virginia and West Virginia, and west to Illinois. Currently, there are 25 agencies spread across 14 states that make up the . All member agencies use the same technology,...
is not accepted. An annual decal for Nassau County residents is $130.00 USD.
History
The original bridge opened on June 29, 1927 and had a vertical clearance of only 13 feet (4 m). Traffic bottlenecked as populations grew on both sides of the bridge in the 1940s. On October 14, 1950, Governor Thomas E. Dewey drove the first pile for the new Atlantic Beach Bridge. To accommodate the new six-lane span, Nassau County and New York City spent $2.5 million for approach road rights-of-way. The new Atlantic Beach Bridge opened to traffic on May 10, 1952, at a cost of $9.5 million. Soon after the new span opened, the old bridge was demolished. It was and is now 1173 feet (357.5 m) long with a 33 feet (10.1 m) vertical clearance.Reconstruction
In 1998, a $19 million project was begun to bring the bridge up to federal standards. It involved the reconstruction of the approaching roadways and replacement of the existing concrete bridge deck. The project was completed in November 2000.Bridge Authority controversy
There have been allegations of patronage since the inception of the Nassau CountyNassau County, New York
Nassau County is a suburban county on Long Island, east of New York City in the U.S. state of New York, within the New York Metropolitan Area. As of the 2010 census, the population was 1,339,532...
Bridge Authority, which was created by the New York Legislature
New York Legislature
The New York State Legislature is the term often used to refer to the two houses that act as the state legislature of the U.S. state of New York. The New York Constitution does not designate an official term for the two houses together...
in 1945 to manage the bridge. Though the construction costs of the bridge have long since been paid off, the tolls remain. A 1999 audit of the agency by New York State Comptroller
New York State Comptroller
The New York State Comptroller is a state cabinet officer of the U.S. state of New York. The duties of the comptroller include auditing government operations and operating the state's retirement system.-History:...
Carl McCall
Carl McCall
Herman Carl McCall is a former Comptroller of New York State and was the Democratic candidate for state governor in 2002. He is an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ, and currently serves on the Board of Directors for numerous corporations. He received a B.A. degree from Dartmouth...
found many instances of patronage and mismanagement. The authority failed to seek competitive work for engineering work. In 1997, 71% of the bridges budget was spent on personnel.