The Hamptons could receive a massive influx of tourists if plans for a $50bn bridge across the Long Island Sound go ahead.
A bill in the Connecticut state legislature would establish a new bridge authority to study the proposal and submit construction recommendations by next January.
The legislation has not yet passed in the assembly, but a bipartisan group of heavy hitters is throwing their support behind the massive transportation project, which could span 14 miles.
Stephen Shapiro, a local real estate developer, is spearheading the proposal. He claimed it would open up new commuter routes in an interview with WTNH, a local ABC affiliate, and highlighted longstanding discussion about a bridge: ‘It’s been tried for 90 years’.
The bridge would span the Long Island Sound and connect Bridgeport to Suffolk County, home to two of the ritziest Hamptons neighborhoods.
Republican State Representative Joe Hoxha said at Tuesday’s hearing that the bridge was a ‘win-win-win.’
‘This is something that brings tourism, brings commerce and helps everyone,’ he said.
Bill Finch, the former mayor of Bridgeport, told WTNH that the bridge would have positive environmental impacts and save commuters time.
A bill has been introduced in Connecticut to conduct a study on plans to construct a massive bridge connecting the state to Long Island
The bridge would span from Bridgeport to Suffolk County. Suffolk is home to some of the ritziest neighborhoods in the Hamptons, including East Hampton, pictured above
Advocates for the bridge claim it will increase tourism and decrease traffic along Connecticut interstates. However, some are skeptical the proposal will pass. A mock up of the bridge is pictured above
The proposal has received mixed reviews from local lawmakers. Representative Tony Scott supported the initiative, suggesting that it could decrease traffic on major interstates across Connecticut.
However, Daniel O’Keefe, the commissioner of the Department of Economic and Community Development, said in written testimony that the massive price tag for the bridge was not included in the governor’s budget, as reported by CT Insider.
Developer Steve Shapiro, pictured above, is spearheading the proposal
Shapiro, the Connecticut housing developer leading the initiative, told CT Post in September that building the bridge was his ‘dream.’
‘Imagine getting to Ocean Beach from here in 45 minutes,’ he added.
Shapiro said that even though the project has a massive price tag, he estimated the bridge would generate $8 to $10 billion in annual revenue and could revitalize Bridgeport.
Data from the IRS, seen by CT Insider last year, placed Bridgeport among the poorest towns in the state, with average incomes below $42,000.
He added that a $39 bridge toll would pay for the project in 48 years. Shapiro proposed that the construction could be split between New York, Connecticut, and federal funds.
However, Governor Ned Lamont said in an interview with CT Insider last October that he would not approve funding for the 14-mile-long bridge.
There is only one route along Long Island where tourists can access the Hamptons. Advocates for a bridge have argued that it will offer another route to the enclave
Governor Ned Lamont said he would not fund a bridge proposal. Former Governor of New York Andrew Cuomo previously supported a bridge from Long Island to Connecticut
‘I can tell you that they’ve been talking about that ever since I was a kid in Long Island. So keep talking,’ he said.
Multiple proposals for a bridge in the area have failed in the past. Andrew Cuomo explored the idea when he was governor of New York.
He praised a proposal in 2017, adding that a bridge would reduce congestion and offer New Yorkers a better way to get off the island instead of driving all the way to the end.
A proposal commissioned by Cuomo that same year estimated the cost at around $31 billion.
A study conducted at the time noted that the bridge could divert New York City traffic on to Long Island.
The 2017 bid eventually failed due to environmental concerns and worries that the bridge would increase local traffic.
The Daily Mail has reached out to Suffolk County officials for comment on the new CT bill.
