Sheepshead Bay's Historic Footbridge Reopens After a Reno

by Barbara Russo-Lennon, amNY

New York City officials and community members celebrated the rehabilitation of an historic wooden bridge in Sheepshead Bay during a ceremony at the span on a rainy Thursday morning.

Rehab work on the Ocean Avenue Pedestrian Bridge ended in late spring this year. Officials held a ribbon-cutting event last week to celebrate the bridge’s new look, which includes lots of new decking and posts, along with decorative lighting.

The 400-foot wooden bridge crosses Sheepshead Bay and connects Emmons Avenue in the namesake neighborhood to Shore Boulevard in Manhattan Beach. While the bridge has its roots in the 19th century, it likely dates to the 1930s.

The bridge has deteriorated over the years as deck boards, handrails, and railing supports were in dire need of replacement. In 2022, then-Assembly Member Steve Cymbrowitz worked to make $750,000 available to fund the rehab work, officials said. NYC Department of Transportation (DOT) filled in the remainder of the necessary funding to move forward with the approximately $1.2 million project.

“Bridging communities is a priority for the Adams Administration and NYC DOT, and the Ocean Avenue Pedestrian Bridge literally does just that,” said DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez. “This iconic wooden bridge from a century ago was in much need of tender loving care, and together former Assembly Member Cymbrowitz, the local community, and DOT’s operational teams stepped up and delivered for Sheepshead Bay, Manhattan Beach and all of Brooklyn.”

DOT workers made the improvements, including deck and walking board replacements, vertical bumper support replacement, railing and stringer replacement, painting, and development and replacement of matching decorative lighting.

Old newspaper accounts show a wooden bridge was first built by The Manhattan Beach Company in 1880 to connect the hotels of Manhattan Beach with the “mainland.” The bridge was not without controversy and a legal intervention was required to ensure the walkway stayed in place. There were proposals in the early 20th century to expand the bridge to accommodate vehicular traffic. Those plans weren’t implemented, but a new pedestrian bridge was proposed at East 19th Street, a bit west of Ocean Avenue, to replace the original, decaying structure. A map of 1907 shows the original footbridge aligned with Ocean Avenue, while a map of 1919 shows it at East 19th Street. In the 1930s, a WPA project transformed the waterfront with the demolition of wooden shacks, and the construction of new bulkheads, piers, and a promenade with trees and benches. The old footbridge was declared “doomed” by the Brooklyn Eagle, with plans yet again for a wider bridge to accommodate traffic. A new footbridge, supposedly temporary, was approved to replace the old structure.

Elected officials were at the ceremony on Thursday, August 21 to celebrate the project.

“I am delighted that this historic and beautiful pedestrian bridge, which I use daily, has been restored to its former glory,” Assembly Member Michael Novakhov said. “As a longtime resident of Manhattan Beach, I can personally attest that the repairs to the walkway and handrails were essential and long overdue.”

Local City Council Member Inna Vernikov noted the bridge’s iconic status in the neighborhood.

“I am proud to see the long-awaited, much-needed updates to the Sheepshead Bay Bridge finally completed,” she said. “This bridge is a landmark in our community and a daily path for so many neighbors connecting Sheepshead Bay and Manhattan Beach. For years, residents and local businesses have needed and asked for these repairs, and today’s reopening reflects what can be achieved when government works in conjunction with the community.”

Editor’s note: A version of this story originally ran in amNY. Click here to see the original story.

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