Worker Killed, Another Missing in Loop Parkway Bridge Collapse

A section of temporary scaffolding gave way just before noon on the Loop Parkway drawbridge, sending two construction workers into Reynolds Channel. The bridge connects the Meadowbrook State Parkway with Long Beach in Nassau County. The workers were repairing the bridge under a project led by New York's environmental agency.

Six workers sustained non-life-threatening injuries. One of the workers pulled from the water received CPR and was taken to a hospital, where he later died. Another worker who fell into the channel remained missing, prompting a search involving local authorities and personnel from the Jones Beach and Cape Cod Coast Guard facilities.

The Loop Parkway was closed in both directions after the collapse and reopened by 5 p.m. The bridge, built in 1934, is slated for infrastructure work under a $15.9 million contract, with the upgrades scheduled for completion by March 2028. Plans include bridge deck maintenance, replacement of bridge joints, new railings and improved lighting for boat traffic.