The Atlantic Beach Bridge — Long Island’s only toll bridge — will finally accept E-ZPass starting next month. Connecting Lawrence to the barrier beach communities, the bridge is crossed six million times a year.
The Nassau County Bridge Authority had been resistant to electronic tolling due to the cost of service. Officials said the extra revenue will help them play “catch-up” on maintenance.
A Nassau County comptroller's audit from 2021 also recommended the switch. Bridge debt has been refinanced through 2040.
Beginning in mid-December, commuters with E-ZPass will now be billed $3 per trip, or $4 with cash.
Residents of the barrier island can register for a discounted yearly pass of $162. Those towns include Point Lookout, Long Beach, Lido Beach and Atlantic Beach. Nassau County residents can also apply for an almost $200 annual pass.
The original bridge opened in 1927. The current bridge opened in 1952, then was updated in 1998.
This story has been updated to clarify that the Nassau County Bridge Authority has oversight of this project, not the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
