NYS Transportation Chief Outlines Fire Island Inlet Bridge Repairs, Long Island Resurfacing

The New York State Department of Transportation has initiated a $7.3 million project to replace deteriorated joints and perform surface repairs on five Suffolk County bridges, work the agency says is now underway and expected to be complete by the end of 2026. The Jan. 21 NYSDOT release frames the package as an effort to enhance safety, ride quality and long-term durability for Long Island motorists.

The press release specifies joint replacements and surface work across the five structures and lists NYSDOT Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez as announcing the program. For media or contractor questions, the release listed Stephen Canzoneri at (631) 952-6633 as the contact for NYSDOT. The department characterized the repairs as restoring and extending the life of vital transportation links on Long Island.

Commissioner Dominguez’s prepared remarks accompany the announcement and included the line, "Investing in strong, reliable [...] protects taxpayers by preventing bigger repairs down the road and helps commuters and local businesses every day." Suffolk County Executive Edward Romaine welcomed the funding, saying, "Our top priority in Suffolk County is to improve our infrastructure and maintain our roadways to ensure our motorists are safe. I thank the state for their partnership to advance our goal while ensuring these bridges remain safe for vehicular travel."

Huntington Town Supervisor Edmund Smyth also weighed in in the NYSDOT release, noting local maintenance efforts: "The Town of Huntington has committed the last 4 years to focusing on the maintenance and upgrade of key facilities and infrastructure, setting us on a path of maintenance surety and sustainability. We applaud the NYS DOT and Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez for investing in a plan to restore critical infrastructure, like key area"

Separately, state and local leaders won accelerated action on a dangerous Suffolk corridor when CBS New York reported that State Route 25, Middle Country Road through Selden and Centereach, will see bidding moved up to this year and repaving beginning in 2027 instead of 2028 or later. CBS described the stretch as having "landed on a list of the 10 deadliest roads for years" and flagged speeding, treacherous turns out of strip malls, and "hundreds of potholes" as persistent problems.

State Sen. Dean Murray secured the DOT agreement to move up the bidding timetable, and the state will earmark $300,000 for emergency pothole repairs in the spring to address immediate hazards. Assemblyman Doug Smith praised the response, saying, "I appreciate the NYS DOT, and in particular, Director Causin, for responding to local concerns and advancing the timeline for paving on Middle Country Road. This work will help address the deteriorating conditions and improve safety for drivers, families and first responders who all use this roadway daily," CBS reported, adding that first responders told reporters crashes on the corridor are a daily occurrence and that ambulances are delayed by cars slowing for potholes.

News 12 Long Island also reported in early March that Commissioner Dominguez outlined state plans to address widespread winter road damage across Long Island and specific street and bridge repairs, tying the bridge package and the Middle Country Road action into a larger, regionwide maintenance push. With the five-bridge work due to wrap by the end of 2026, and emergency pothole funding and an accelerated bidding schedule for SR 25, county and state officials are framing the measures as immediate steps to reduce crashes and improve response times on Suffolk County roadways.