[4] When in the closed position, the bridge's bascule span, located midstream, has a clearance below of 17 feet (5.2 m) above the high-tide mark.

[5] By the 1980s, it was in need of replacement, with its deck frequently being stuck & subsequently delaying train and/or boat traffic; the bridge was also vulnerable to flooding due to its low spans, which caused the swing bridge mechanisms to regularly be submerged in saltwater.

[1][6][7][8] A modern replacement span was soon proposed by officials, and the plans were finalized by the latter half of the decade following the LIRR, Town of Hempstead, Village of Island Park, City of Long Beach, and the United States Coast Guard all agreeing on the plans.

[6][7] The current bridge's bascule span was originally built and used as one of the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad's former drawbridges in Placida, Florida; service on that line ceased upon the railroad's decision to discontinue its Placida–Boca Grande freight route.

[2][13][14][15] As part of the project, the bridge received an emergency generator and improved electrical systems to make it more resilient in the event of severe storms.