Road Work on One Mile Stretch of Saltaire’s Lighthouse Promenade Worries Year-Round Residents

Summer is now over, and the approximately 400 year-round residents of Fire Island have their sights set on the rest of the year. Part of the community’s off-season happenings includes road work in the Village of Salatire. The work is being done on a nearly one mile stretch of Lighthouse Promenade, a main stretch of road that connects with Burma Road, which some Fire Island residents aren’t happy about.

The road work, which will comprise of replacing the concrete street with a flood-resistant boardwalk as well as replacing the water main, is being completed in the middle of the majority of the town, which makes it difficult to navigate traffic. The first phase of construction began last season, so Salatire residents have expressed desire that the work goes smoother this time around.

The construction diverts traffic to the oceanfront, which is already smaller in the winter. Some residents, especially older residents, voiced that they were not comfortable driving on the beach to accommodate the road work. Super Storm Sandy’s destruction has caused Fire Island residents to have to use the Robert Moses Causeway bridge instead of the Smith Point Bridge as the only way to leave the island, which requires traffic to pass through a busy Saltaire.

However, Ocean Beach Fire Department Chief Ian Levine said the town is “doing what has to be done for Fire Island to keep existing.”

The construction project is backed by $2.5 million in Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) reimbursements because the damage was done by Sandy.

“The village is pleased that FEMA understands the strategic importance of Lighthouse Promenade for all of Fire Island, as well as the importance of its reconstruction with a design and materials that meet the highest standards of flood resiliency,” said John Zaccaro Jr., Mayor of Saltaire, of the construction.

After taking the Fire Island ferry over, we invite you to visit William J. Newman Realty. We have serviced Fire Island’s western communities since 1969 and offer the experience and professionalism to meet all real estate needs for people who want to take the Fire Island ferries over and stay on the Island for a few days or for the entire summer! We specialize in rentals and home sales from Fair Harbor to Dunewood, Lonelyville, and Saltaire.