The Peru Gazette

Monday, June 10, 2024 – Peru Highway Superintendent Michael Farrell recently indicated that the bridge close to Telegraph Rd would not reopen until about July 2026. At the town board meeting on Monday, June 10, Town Attorney Matt Favero said a concerned resident had called him about the issue. Farrell explained his reasoning by citing the slow DEC and the Army Corps of Engineers permitting process. Later in the meeting, the Peru Gazette asked why the town didn’t replace the bridge when it closed the road to replace the culvert at Telegraph Road- and Sullivan Rd intersection. The fact that there are three homes between the culvert and the bridge is a primary reason. Farrell also hoped to get a Bridges, NY grant. Unfortunately, it doesn’t appear the town will qualify for a grant. Replacing the bridge is estimated at $1.5 million. The culvert job cost the town an estimated $2 million without grant funding.