Vehicles that weigh over three tons are banned from crossing the Smith Point Bridge until further notice after a state inspection found structural deterioration that required immediate attention.

The issues were discovered during a routine inspection by the New York State Department of Transportation.

Suffolk County, which owns and maintains the bridge, said the restrictions would remain in place until further notice.

While most regular-sized cars will likely fall under the 6,000 pound limit, larger SUVs, trucks and campers heading to Smith Point are likely to be turned away.

"They asked for my registration, I gave it to them, they told me that it was overweight and I had to turn around and go back," Shriley resident Pierre Elie said.

Today, the Suffolk County Department of Public Works is coordinating closely with the New York State Department of Transportation to conduct a more in-depth analysis and determine all available options to safely raise the load rating.

Neither the state nor the county responded to multiple requests for more information about what specific issues were found during the inspection, when it was conducted and what conditions need to be met to ensure the bridge is safe for all drivers. Instead, both parties have been deferring to the other.

"I guess if the bridge is not safe to go over, they have to close it," Shirley resident Bobby Hoffman said on his way to fish. "I think it's fine, but I'm not an engineer."

The bridge comes off the William Floyd Parkway in the Town of Brookhaven and connects Shirley to Smith Point County Park.

This is the third time this year a bridge in Suffolk County has been cited for structural issues.

In February, the Ponquogue Bridge was shut down after deterioration was found during an inspection and then over the summer, inspection reports revealed years of deterioration of the Fire Island Inlet Bridge.