Renovation of one of the old Ponquogue Bridge piers will move forward now that the Southampton Town Board approved a contractor on Tuesday to finish the work.
L.K. McLean Associates of Brookhaven will restore the southern fishing pier, which used to be a part of the old Ponquogue Bridge, a popular destination for both fishermen and divers. As part of the work, most of the northern fishing pier will be removed because it is unsafe.
Construction on the roughly 85-year-old piers is expected to be completed by next summer, Southampton Town Supervisor Anna Throne-Holst said on Tuesday. The piers were once a part of the drawbridge that served as a precursor to the current Ponquogue Bridge.
The project is slated to cost an estimated $117,300 and will be partially funded through a $440,000 bond originally intended to pay for renovations of the Sagg Bridge in Sagaponack, a project that has been shelved so that the village can undertake the work on its own.
According to Ms. Throne-Holst, the town will reach out to Hampton Bays residents, divers and fishermen who expressed interest in the pier restoration in the past year, to involve them in the design process.
“I’m excited,” Ms. Throne-Holst said. “As this is moving forward we will be reaching out so they have an opportunity to be a part of the plans. The piers are a great asset that we have here and, frankly, I can’t wait to dive it myself.”