Loop Parkway To Be Closed This Weekend For Drawbridge Work

The Loop Parkway is scheduled to be closed this weekend as state road employees work to complete work on a drawbridge on the roadway.

The parkway will be closed to all traffic from 10 p.m. on Friday, March 29 until 5 a.m. on Monday, April 1 between the Meadowbrook State Parkway and Lido Boulevard. The channel under the drawbridge will also be closed to all maritime traffic, the state said.

The work is part of major mechanical, electrical and structural enahancements that are being made to the bridge spanning Long Creek. A detour will be available through Long Beach via the Long Beach Bridge.

The state said the closures have been coordinated emergency response units, local elected officials and civic organizations, the United States Coast Guard, as well as the local maritime community.

This bridge and the nearby drawbridge on the Meadowbrook State Parkway over Sloop Channel, both built in 1934, are undergoing a $22.5 million strengthening project with enhancements that include structural repairs of the draw spans as well as mechanical and electrical repairs (including new navigation lighting).

Work on both bridges began in the fall of 2017 and is scheduled for completion later this year. Major work for the project is being done during the winter to minimize disruption to marine and car traffic during the summer tourism season.

As with most road and bridge projects, work may be cancelled, postponed, or prolonged due to inclement weather.