Sagg Bridge Has Reopened

Should your travels take you south of Montauk Highway, you no longer have to worry about detouring around the Sagg Bridge. After six months of work, the newly rehabilitated structure reopened on Monday. A ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held on Bridge Lane tomorrow at noon, with Sagaponack Village and state officials celebrating the completion of a project that sought to improve the bridge while keeping its rural character.

Built in 1923, the small country bridge over Sagg Pond, connecting Bridgehampton to Sagaponack, was indeed in need of structural repairs. But local officials railed against plans that would have widened it. After a lengthy battle, the village took ownership from the Town of Southampton.

The $1.2 million project received a boost from the state in the form of a $500,000 grant that Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele Jr. and State Senator Kenneth P. LaValle secured last summer. The village put up the rest out of a capital reserve fund.

Improvements included a new deck, repair to the causeway and seawall, new curbing and sidewalks, and a repaired railing. Rhodi Winchell, the village clerk-treasurer, said the work came in on budget.

The bridge and the boat ramp to it have been closed to all vehicular and pedestrian traffic since Nov. 14. The target completion date was May 15, to have the bridge open in time for Memorial Day weekend.