The recent weight limit restriction on the Route 259 (Union Street) lift bridge over the Erie Canal in Spencerport has meant some adjustments for those who drive heavy vehicles like snowplows.
On December 18, the New York State Department of Transportation restricted usage of the bridge to vehicles weighing 12 tons or less. It had previously been restricted only to vehicles requiring an R permit to haul oversize or overweight loads.
The NYSDOT informed community leaders that “this posting is being put in place following a recent inspection and engineering analysis that revealed the bridge can no longer safely carry heavier traffic in its current condition.”
According to the NYSDOT, a fully loaded, three axle dump truck typically weighs a minimum of 12 tons. The Martha Street bridge over the Canal to the west is open and posted for 18 tons.
Ogden Highway Superintendent Dave Widger says the restriction has not hindered the department greatly in plowing snow.
“It cuts down our response time on one plow route a little,” Widger says. “We have to re-route the trucks – it’s a little cumbersome, we can only use two of seven bridges. We have to try and get out there as quick as we can and there’s not a lot of light at the end of the tunnel,” he adds, regarding when the bridge might be repaired.
The NYSDOT says the duration of the weight restriction is not yet known, but they are expediting a plan to raise the weight limit as soon as possible. A full assessment of the condition along with a repair plan is being developed.
Widger says snowplows are using Manitou and Washington Street bridges to get across the canal. The Gillett Road bridge is also off limits to plows as it currently is posted for eight tons.
Property owners on Gillett Road have agreed to let the plows turn around on their property which “has helped tremendously,” Widger says, and explains a typical snowplow weighs 33 tons when it is loaded up. Smaller plows are in the range of 17 1/2 to 18 tons.
Village of Spencerport Department of Public Works Superintendent Tom West says the Union Street bridge restriction is affecting large garbage and recycling trucks which are using the Washington Street and Manitou Road bridges.
Regarding fire apparatus, Spencerport Fire Chief Doug Case says the Fire District applied for emergency waivers which allow all large equipment that exceed the current posting to use the Route 259 (Union Street) bridge.
“We are currently back to normal operating procedures,” Chief Case says and notes the Union Street bridge is very important because of its core location between the district’s three fire stations. “We work together using equipment from all three stations,” he says.
He says the fire district is working with local leaders to “try to work with the state to get the bridge back up to acceptable levels – the repairs will impact operations.” Chief Case says the state needs to understand the infrastructure needs to be upgraded. “It has been the trend the last few years to have the weight limits going down. There are seven bridges across the canal in the district and only two or three have levels that we can use.”
The weight restrictions affect the entire community, Chief Case notes, including businesses and the Spencerport School District.
Mike Proukou, Director of Transportation at Spencerport Schools, says the eight ton restriction on the Gillett Road bridge has meant the district has had to “redesign our routes so buses don’t use Gillett Road.”
School buses are able to cross at Manitou, Union and Martha Streets, he says.
He says he met with DOT officials at the Jefferson Road office to determine just how much the heaviest buses weigh when they are at capacity and have a full tank of fuel.
Proukou explains that most school buses weigh about nine tons. When the 100-gallon gas tank is full, that can mean 800 pounds in fuel. He says district bus drivers have been given guidelines for crossing the Union Street bridge based on the number of passengers and the passenger capacity of the bus. Drivers can use the Martha Street bridge if the need arises, Proukou says.
He notes that the district is coping now with the restrictions because there is still some flexibility, but, if the Union Street bridge gets to the point where it cannot be used, “… it could cause a significant strain to our transportation system.”
Lori Maher at the NYSDOT tells the Suburban News/The Herald that the DOT is “… in the process of analyzing the structure, developing a repair plan and making arrangements for a contractor, materials and other details.”
She says the community will be updated as soon as a firm schedule is developed.
Photos by W. Horylev
