Work is not expected to begin until 2018 on major repairs to the Route 259 lift bridge over the Erie Canal in Spencerport, but a group of stakeholders including municipal, fire department, emergency services, and New York State DOT officials, as well as business owners, met the week of September 12 for initial discussions on how to make the project – which will close the bridge for at least one year – easier to endure, both for businesses and motorists.
Lori Maher of the NYS DOT, says the meeting resulted in “great conversation” amongst participants. “It’s good to have dialog,” she says, “the DOT made it clear what will happen and why.”
Maher says the project will rebuild the lift bridge within its current blueprint. The bridge floor and all steel will be replaced as will mechanical and electrical systems.
The project is expected to begin in 2018 and take about one year, Maher notes, but when completed, the bridge will be like new and, “the days of lower (weight) postings will be gone … once it’s done, it will be done,” she says.
Maher says the meeting included discussion about events like Canal Days, snowplowing, detours and alternate routes – including which intersections will be most used while the bridge is closed – and, “adjusting signal lights,” to accommodate changes in volume at those intersections. She says the DOT will work to make sure people can, “access every place they could before construction.”
Maher says the meeting was an early step in the process of stakeholders working together to make sure all runs as normally as possible while the work takes place. “We can improve our transportation system if we work together,” she says.
Additional meetings will be planned including meetings with business owners and public informational meetings.
The DOT is also working to coordinate the bridge work with the Route 531 terminus project. Work on reconstructing the terminus at Washington Street (Route 36) with a conventional at-grade intersection is set to begin next spring. Substantial completion is expected by the fall of 2018.
Maher says the DOT recently reached an “internal milestone” in completing contract plans and is in the process of putting the Route 531 terminus project out to bid.
When complete, westbound traffic on Route 531 will go straight onto Route 31 – no more right onto Washington and left onto Route 31. Route 31 will be widened to add a center median which will separate eastbound and westbound travel lanes from where the “new” Route 531 lanes will tie into Route 31 all the way to just east of Gallup Road, DOT officials say.
