Shore Road Bridge Project

The Shore Road Bridge, also known as the Pelham Bay Bridge, is an 865-foot-long bridge that spans the Hutchinson River within Pelham Bay Park in the northeast corner of the Bronx. Shore Road connects to the Bronx and Pelham Parkway southwest of the bridge and continues northeast through Pelham Bay Park into Westchester County. The main bridge span over the navigation channel is a drawbridge with three concrete arch spans at each approach.

Logo for the Shore Road Bridge Project

About the Project

The Shore Road Bridge was constructed in 1908. It was designed to standards in place nearly 120 years ago and cannot accommodate today's vehicle types and loads. Interim repair and rehabilitation have enabled the bridge to remain in service, but it has reached the end of its useful life.

The bridge also has non-standard geometric and design features, including narrow lanes, no shoulders, and insufficient pedestrian and bicycle facilities.

When the bridge is in use, there is only 13 feet of vertical clearance above the river. The bridge is one of the more frequently opened movable bridges in New York City due to large boat traffic and the bridge’s low clearance. Boat traffic is nearly all commercial, consisting of barges carrying home heating oil, scrap metal, and construction material.

Underneath the bridge, the navigation channel provides only 59 feet of horizontal clearance for large vessels to pass through. This is the smallest horizontal clearance of all Hutchinson River movable bridges.

To adequately address the project needs, NYC DOT anticipates replacing the existing bridge with a new structure.

Project Updates

The Project is classified under NEPA as an action requiring the preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and classified as a City Environmental Quality Review (CEQR) Type 1 action. NEPA requires federal agencies to conduct an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for major actions that could have significant impacts on the environment. Under NEPA, “environment” includes the natural and physical environment (such as air, water, geography, geology) as well as people’s relationship with the environment (such as health, safety, jobs, schools, housing, and aesthetics). An EIS looks at both short-term and long-term effects and considers possible measures to reduce or mitigate those effects.

The project team is preparing an EIS for the Shore Road Bridge Project.

NEPA EIS Process

An EIS is prepared in a series of steps:

  • gathering government and public comments to define the issues that should be analyzed in the EIS (a process known as “scoping”)
  • preparing the Draft EIS
  • receiving and responding to public comments on the Draft EIS; and
  • preparing the Final EIS

Decisions are not made in an EIS; rather, the EIS analysis is one of several factors decisionmakers consider. The decision is announced in the Record of Decision (ROD) after the final EIS has been published.

NEPA EIS Project Milestones:

  • Notice of Intent (NOI) & NOI Report Publication: July 2021
  • Public Scoping Meeting and 30-Day Comment Period: August 2021
  • Scoping Report Publication: December 2021
  • Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for Public Review and Comment: September 2026
  • Anticipated Publication of Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS): May 2027

Draft Design Report / NEPA Draft Environmental Impact Statement Available for Public Review! (September 4, 2026)

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT), as joint lead agencies, and the New York City Department of Transportation (NYC DOT), as project sponsor and joint lead agency, have completed the Draft Design Report (DDR) / National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the Shore Road Bridge over the Hutchinson River Project.

As a project requiring FHWA approval, the project is subject to the requirements of Section 4(f) of the USDOT Act of 1966 (now codified in 23 USC §138 and 49 USC §303), and the FHWA implementing regulation, 23 CFR Part 774. In accordance with the applicable regulations and as documented in the DEIS, the FHWA intends to make a de minimis impact finding for the Section 4(f) use of Pelham Bay Park and the Pelham Bay Park Preserve. The FHWA is soliciting comments from the public on the proposed de minimis impact determination for Pelham Bay Park and the Pelham Bay Park Preserve. Refer to Chapter 4 of the DDR/DEIS, Section 4.4.12 and Appendix O for details regarding Section 4(f) and the project’s potential impacts.

Shore Road Bridge Project Draft Design Report / NEPA Draft Environmental Impact Statement (pdf) Shore Road Bridge Project Draft Design Report / NEPA Draft Environmental Impact Statement - Appendices (zip) The Shore Road Bridge Project DDR / NEPA DEIS document is also accessible via the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s EIS Database

SEQRA/CEQR Additional Documentation Available for Public Review! (September 4, 2026)

In compliance with State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA)/City Environmental Quality Review (CEQR), NYC DOT has also prepared additional environmental and design review documentation to cover topics not addressed in the DDR/NEPA DEIS.

SEQRA/CEQR Additional Documentation (pdf) SEQRA/CEQR Additional Documentation - Appendices (zip)

Note: The SEQRA/CEQR Additional Documentation contains references to Attachment A. Attachment A is the DDR / NEPA EIS.

Additional Access for the Documents

Digital and physical copies for both the DDR / NEPA DEIS and the SEQRA/CEQR Additional Documentation will be available for viewing during the comment period at the following locations:

Let’s Hear from You!

Public comments on the SEQRA/CEQR Documentation, DDR / NEPA DEIS and the proposed Section 4(f) de minimis impact determination must be received by November 6, 2026.  Comments received during the comment period will become part of the Final Environmental Impact Statement (Project Record). Comments can be provided in-person at the public hearings or by emailing: ShoreRoadBridgeBX@dot.nyc.gov.

Comments can also be sent by U.S. mail to:

New York City Department of Transportation
Division of Bridges- Shore Road Bridge Project Team
Attention: Joannene Kidder
55 Water Street
5th Floor, New York, NY 10041

Project Team

Three agencies are involved in the project:

  • The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is the lead federal agency
  • The New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) as joint lead agency
  • The New York City Department of Transportation (NYC DOT), as project sponsor and joint lead agency

Community Outreach

Public engagement is an important part of this project, and there are many opportunities to get involved.

Get Involved

Two in-person public hearings will be held to provide information and receive comments on the DDR / NEPA DEIS and SEQRA/CEQR documentation. Both hearings will present identical information. A recorded presentation will also be available on this website after the completion of the in-person hearings.

Hearings will begin in an open-house format followed by a presentation and formal comment session. All interested will be given the opportunity to express their views concerning the potential effects of the Project. Sign up in person at the hearing.

The proceedings will be recorded by a stenographer. Spanish language and American Sign Language interpreters will be available during the hearings. Locations will be accessible to individuals with disabilities. To request accessibility accommodations please contact Joannene Kidder at ShoreRoadBridgeBX@dot.nyc.gov or 929-505-1002 by 4 p.m., Monday, September 21, 2026.

Public Hearing #1

Date: Thursday, October 1, 2026
Time: 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Location: Bartow Older Adult Center (Co-Op City), 2049 Bartow Avenue, Bronx, NY 10475
Parking: Parking Garage 4, 99 Asch Loop, Bronx, NY 10475 (paid); free street parking

Public Hearing #2

Date: Wednesday, October 7, 2026
Time: 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Location: Pelham Bay & Split Rock Golf Courses, 870 Shore Road, Bronx, NY 10464
Free parking available on site

Email Signup

Join the email list to stay up to date on project information and future engagement opportunities.

Past Meetings

Two virtual Public Scoping Meetings for the project were held on August 3, 2021. The Scoping Meeting presentation was also broadcasted on BronxNet cable television from August 12 to August 16, 2021.

Contact Us

Have any questions or concerns about the Shore Road Bridge project?

Resources

Materials include meeting and project documents, and information about federal and local requirements. If you have trouble accessing any of the documents on this page, please contact the project team at ShoreRoadBridgeBX@dot.nyc.gov.

Recording of the Shore Road Bridge Public Scoping Meeting on August 3, 2021 (YouTube) Shore Road Bridge Public Scoping Meeting Presentation (August 3, 2021) Shore Road Bridge Public Scoping Meeting Boards (August 3, 2021)

New York City Environmental Quality Review (CEQR) Draft Scope of Work Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement NEPA Notice of Intent Report Project Scoping Report

This project will follow the regulations set forth in the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Congress enacted NEPA in December 1969, and President Nixon signed it into law on January 1, 1970. NEPA was the first major environmental law in the United States and established the country’s national environmental policies.

The goal of the NEPA process is to foster excellent action that protects, restores, and enhances the environment. This is achieved through the use of environmental assessments (EAs) and environmental impact statements (EISs), which provide public officials with relevant information and allow a "hard look" at the potential environmental consequences of each proposed project.

NEPA requires federal agencies to consider environmental effects that include, among others, impacts on social, cultural, and economic resources, as well as natural resources.

The environmental review process under NEPA provides an opportunity for the public to be involved in the federal agency decision making process. It helps the public understand what is being proposed and provides an opportunity to offer feedback on ways to accomplish the proposed action. It also allows the public to provide comments on the project’s analysis on the environmental effects of the proposed action and possible mitigation of potential harmful effects of the action.

For more information on NEPA, explore the links below.

This project will follow the regulations set forth in the New York City Environmental Quality Review (CEQR) process. The CEQR Technical Manual provides guidance for city agencies, project sponsors, the public, and other entities in the procedures and substance of the City's CEQR process. CEQR requires city agencies to assess, disclose, and mitigate to the greatest extent practicable the significant environmental consequences of their decisions to fund, directly undertake, or approve a project. The environmental assessment analyzes the project that is facilitated by the action or actions. An action is a discretionary agency decision (approval, funding, or undertaking) needed in order to complete a project.

The Manual, as regularly updated and available on the web, provides a detailed and comprehensive discussion of the CEQR process, from simple environmental assessments to the more complex analyses appropriate for Environmental Impact Statements (EISs). Consequently, the Manual reflects changes in the environmental review process over time, development of new methodologies, changes in legislation, and other circumstances that affect the form or content of the City's environmental review process. In addition, city policies, environmental conditions, and the level of information available for assessing a project have changed since the last revision and the technical analyses have been updated and revised accordingly.

For more information on CEQR, explore the links below.

Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 requires federal agencies to consider the effects of their actions on historic properties that are listed or eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places.

The USCG is responsible for approving bridge plans and locations in New York City and across the United States. They also monitor construction to ensure that navigation channels remain open.

Bridge History

In 1812, a group of property owners in Pelham and City Island worked to pass a legislative act authorizing a toll bridge across the Hutchinson River. The first bridge at the site, a stone bridge built in 1815, was destroyed in a storm in April 1816. Various other crossings followed, leading to an iron swing bridge built in 1870. The iron bridge was costly to maintain and quickly fell into disrepair. This iron bridge was replaced by the current bridge, which opened to traffic on October 15, 1908.