The temporary Glen Island Bridge will allow drivers, bicyclists and pedestrians to continue to use Glen Island Park while the original is being renovated. The two bridges are right next to each other, and like the original, the temporary bridge also operates as a drawbridge, moving up and down to allow boats to go by.
Hugh Greechan, commissioner of the county Department of Public Works, says the temporary bridge will open to marine traffic Thursday.
“It’s an 80-foot, single span temporary bridge. It’s the longest one right now, that we know of, that’s been built," says Greechan. "A temporary bridge, 80-feet-long, customized for this project.”
Officials say the rehabilitation project is the largest capital project in Westchester County history. The temporary bridge alone cost millions of dollars.
Westchester County officials say the price tag is worth it, because the original Glen Island Bridge is the only road connection to the year-round Glen Island Park. Home to the Glen Island Harbor Club, boathouses, picnic areas and a public beach, Glen Island Park is the second-most popular Westchester County park, behind Playland.
"Parks are for the people," says Democratic County Legislator David Tubiolo. "This is what it's all about: coming together and making the dream happen for the people and the community."
The original drawbridge was built in 1930 and has been deemed eligible for preservation by the National Register of Historic Places. Greechan says it began showing its age and having operational issues as early as 45 years ago, and the plan to rehabilitate it is more than a decade in the making. The county awarded the project to the Kiewit infrastructure Corporation to the tune of about $79.6 million in September.
Peter Tartaglia, first deputy commissioner of the county parks department, says the original bridge will be rebuilt “from top to bottom” while maintaining its historic design.
“When it’s done, it will still look like the historic bridge, but basically, it’s a brand-new bridge," he adds. "We will have a 50-year bridge by the time we’re done — that’s a 50-year structural bridge. With maintenance, there will probably be more time that we’ll get out of that bridge.”
Early renovations started this winter, and official plans call to reopen it to vehicle traffic in summer 2026. Throughout construction, Tartaglia says the original drawbridge will remain in the "up" position. More specifically, the project includes a new bridge deck, sidewalks, floor beams, railings, lighting and electrical upgrades, structural steel and masonry repairs.
When the original bridge is done, the temporary structure will be torn down. It may seem a little silly to hold a ribbon cutting on a project you plan to dismantle in a year, but officials say extensive work went into the temporary structure — Greechan notes building a bridge to come down can be more difficult than constructing something permanent — and it marks the first milestone in the overall project.
Tartaglia says he’s mostly happy to see the park remain open during construction.
“It is a jewel, it’s 105 acres, and we want the public to be able to use 105 acres," he says. "We did lose this park for a higher purpose during the pandemic, when it was closed down for the testing center, and everybody missed it so, so much. And we came up with a way not for that to happen in order for us to fix what we need to.”
