The three-year project will feature a newly-paved 3,000-foot asphalt roadway, concrete barriers, railings along the sidewalk and the replacement of ramps that provide access to the Rockaway Peninsula.
"It's 37 [years old] and it needs work," said Catherine Sweeney, a spokeswoman for Metropolitan Transportation Authority Bridges and Tunnels.
"The work is necessary to maintain the bridge in a state of good repair."
Construction will require at least one lane closure in each direction on the bridge, which connects Broad Channel and the Rockaway Peninsula over Jamaica Bay.
Ramps will also be temporarily closed, but only in the off-season, not between Labor Day and Memorial Day.
Commuters - some 7.3 million drive over the bridge each year - should plan to add a few extra minutes to their commutes during the project, officials said.
Community Board 14 will offer help with ramp detours to minimize inconvenience during closures.
"Our concerns are the beach seasons for people who are not familiar with the area," said Board 14 district manager Jonathan Gaska.
Gaska noted that the City Department of Transportation would provide traffic agents to direct the flow of traffic at peak hours.
The community board has also discussed a hurricane evacuation plan with the City Office of Emergency Management, Gaska said.
Two bridge lanes should remain open at all times, he said.
"After 37 years of wear and tear in a salt-water environment, the work on the bridge is necessary to ensure that motorists cross it in safety and comfort," said state Senate Minority Leader Malcolm Smith (D-Queens), who announced the construction plans this month.
The original Cross Bay Bridge, a low-level drawbridge, was built in 1939 by the New York City Parkway Authority.
It was replaced in 1970 by the Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority (now MTA Bridges and Tunnels) by the Cross Bay Veterans Memorial Bridge, a fixed-level bridge high enough for boats to pass beneath.
