Rumors had already been floating that the delayed-to-November bridge reopening was being delayed yet again. On August 23, the Village of Brockport called a meeting with the NYSDOT to discuss the further delay. Mayor Blackman, Deputy Mayor Crane, Deputy Mayor Joyce Riley from Albion, and Brockport Merchants Association representative Judy Andrew met at Village Hall with the three DOT engineers overseeing the project to learn about the delay and discuss its impact on the Brockport community, particularly village businesses.
The bridge was originally scheduled to open on September 6, then postponed to November 22, and now early February 2025. The Albion bridge, which is on the same contract and farther behind schedule, will reopen on December 19. The contractor (Crane Hogan) has 480 days to complete each project without financial penalty. Failure to do so results in a fine of $7,000 per day (“liquidated damages”), which the NYSDOT deducts from what it pays the contractor.
The major problem causing the current delay is steel fabrication issues, including the lifting posts. The primary supplier for the structural steel – which must be U.S. Manufactured – is a Buffalo, New York firm. The contractor hires the supplier and the other subcontractors who all must be State approved. The contractor is ultimately responsible for keeping delivery on track. Subsequently, the DOT engineers have been working as a team with Crane Hogan and the main steel supplier, and Crane Hogan has also reached out to other suppliers. The DOT assured the Village that lessons learned from the greatly delayed Spencerport and Fairport bridge rehabilitations had been incorporated into the procedures for the Main Street bridge rehab. Unfortunately, none of the above will change the early February bridge completion date.
Here’s what’s happening currently on the Main Street bridge. The pit walls and floors on both north and south ends have been re-concreted; the counterweights (made of metal plates) are in place at the north end. The machinery beams will have to be put in place in notches carved out of the concrete walls. Those beams support the engine driving the bridge up, the cables, and large sheaves over which the cables run. Currently, the subcontractors are working offsite testing the recently manufactured lifting posts, which raise the bridge, and making the necessary adjustments and corrections. Trying to rehab a 110-year-old historic bridge, replace most of its parts, and assure it will have at least a 50-year life is challenging. In the words of one of the DOT engineers, “This project is a significant investment into the community and will provide a safe and reliable crossing of the canal for the next generation.”
Most deeply affected by the bridge delay are Brockport’s merchants. Some businesses have closed, moved, or come under new franchises. Sales are down. The holiday shopping season will take place with the bridge still closed. The Brockport community is encouraged to support downtown merchants: eat downtown, shop downtown, shop locally for the holidays. Mark your calendars for the Midnight Madness Halloween parade (October 25), Black Friday (November 29), Small Business Saturday (November 30), the Holiday of Lights Parade (December 1), and the Winter Market (December 14). Prepare for a grand downtown Main Street celebration when the bridge reopens in February 2025.
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