Viral video shows gaping hole in 60-year-old Fire Island Inlet Bridge

Dramatic footage circulated on social media showing a sizeable hole in the roadway surface of the Fire Island Inlet Bridge, the inlet span of the Robert Moses Causeway that connects the mainland to Robert Moses State Park and Fire Island, and engineers closed the span after a boat captain saw falling debris on Feb. 20, 2026. Anyone with video or eyewitness information should contact the New York State Department of Transportation district office and this newsroom.

Engineers who ordered the shutdown identified the span as the 60-year-old inlet section of the Robert Moses Causeway, according to video descriptions and platform posts. The YouTube headline on the footage explicitly reports that engineers shut down the 60-year-old Fire Island Inlet Bridge on Long Island after a boat captain saw falling debris, tying the on-water sighting to the operational response.

The video has drawn widespread attention online. News 12 Long Island described the incident as the latest problem for the span and noted the video “has garnered thousands of shares.” Posts on Facebook and Instagram framed the incident as another sign of Island aging infrastructure; one Instagram post labelled the clip “HOLE IN BRIDGE” while a Facebook snippet referenced concerns about the bridge and cited a spokesperson without providing that statement.

Visuals in the circulating clips show missing concrete in the roadway; the original footage description states, “The video captured missing concrete in th” and shows a sizeable gap where the driving surface has failed. The available reports do not specify detailed dimensions, whether rebar is exposed, or the exact location along the inlet span, and no agency has released an inspection report in the footage captions.

Several key operational details remain unconfirmed in public posts. The record supplied with the video does not identify the agency of the engineers who shut the bridge, whether the closure was full or partial, the expected timeline for reopening, or whether any vehicles or pedestrians were on the span at the time. The social posts and local coverage also do not include the identity or the full statement of the spokesperson referenced on Facebook.

Immediate follow-ups needed from officials include the NYS Department of Transportation district office responsible for the Robert Moses Causeway, Suffolk County Department of Public Works, and Robert Moses State Park management. Requested material should include the date and time of the boat captain’s sighting, the agency log for the shutdown, a structural assessment of the hole and missing concrete, and the emergency repair plan and schedule.

The inlet span links mainland Suffolk County with a major state park and Fire Island communities; engineers and transportation officials must provide clear inspection findings and a repair timetable so residents who rely on the Robert Moses Causeway can plan for closures and safety measures.