Our town is getting two new Northway bridges
By John T. Ryan
NYS Department of Transportation officials were in Peru last Tuesday to inform residents about the planned replacement of the I87 – Bear Swamp Rd. Bridge. The old bridge is forty-eight years old. DOT officials said road salt is one of the primary reasons for bridge deterioration. The Department plans to complete the bridge design this fall and let bids shortly thereafter. Construction should begin next summer and be completed in the fall of 2011.
The new bridge is estimated to cost approximately $5.8 million including approaches. It will be three lanes wide, have deeper beams, a higher elevation and a longer span. It will have a left turn lane to reduce the early morning traffic congestion. Route 442 will have a new right turn lane as it approaches the Northway westward from Rulf’s Orchard.
Traffic delays are expected to be minor and limited to three or four minutes at a time for about six months. Traffic will be restricted to one lane during that period. Two lane traffic will resume as soon as the first two lanes of the new bridge are completed.
The Bear Swamp Rd. Bridge isn’t the only Northway bridge being replaced in the Town of Peru. The Arthur Rd. Northway bridge construction project is scheduled to begin either this fall or early next spring.
Posted: July 27th, 2009 under General News.