Press release:
New York State Department of Transportation Acting Commissioner Paul A. Karas today announced that construction has begun on a $1.4 million project to replace the bridge carrying Bethany Center Road (County Road 15) over U.S. Route 20 in the Town of Bethany, Genesee County.
The project will replace the 86-year-old bridge and improve safety for both motorists and pedestrians with upgraded guide rails, pavement markings, and signage. The bridge carries an average of more 1,500 vehicles each day.
“Governor Cuomo has made smart investments in transportation a priority across New York State, modernizing bridges and highways to support mobility and commerce, Acting Commissioner Karas said. “This bridge in Genesee County will provide safe, reliable passage for motorists and pedestrians for generations to come.”
The existing bridge will close on April 8th and traffic will be detoured. Construction is scheduled to be completed this fall.
The bridge, first constructed in 1932, will be replaced with a single-span steel structure. The two piers that support the bridge will be removed, eliminating the potential for falling concrete.
The new bridge will facilitate the movement of freight and support emergency service vehicles.
Senator Michael Ranzenhofer said, "The condition of the Bethany Center Road Bridge has been deteriorating for years, and I have been advocating for replacing the 86-year-old bridge. That is why I am pleased that this project is moving forward. This infrastructure improvement project will ensure the safety of the more than 1,500 vehicles driving over the bridge each and every day."
Assemblyman Stephen Hawley said, “Residents shouldn’t have to worry about their safety when crossing one of our area’s local bridges, and the Bethany Center Road Bridge replacement gives peace of mind to our families and businesses that use this route each day.
"Bridges are not only a means of travel from one place to the next but a means of security for our citizens making the morning commute, our children taking the bus to school, our emergency, fire and police vehicles responding to an accident and our business owners transporting goods to market. Projects like this are crucial to the vitality of our economy and community, and I am pleased to see it moving forward.”
Consistent with Governor Cuomo’s Drivers First initiative, this bridge project was designed to minimize impacts to the traveling public. The bridge is being closed to all traffic so that work can be completed most efficiently. Two types of detours will be put in place.
During the replacement of the bridge, Bethany Center Road will close for approximately five months. A southbound detour will be posted for motorists to use Old Telephone Road, Route 20, East Road, and Raymond Road. Local traffic will be maintained, but not over the bridge.
Additional temporary detours will be posted to reroute traffic from Route 20 onto Old Telephone Road, which runs parallel to it, for safety purposes during the demolition of the existing structure and placement of the new bridge. This detour will be in effect for the following dates:
April 9 to April 22 from 7 a.m. to 7 a.m.
June 5 to June 8 from 7 a.m. to 7 a.m.
July 10 to July 12 from 5 a.m. to 5 a.m.Motorists are reminded that fines are doubled for speeding in a work zone. In accordance with the Work Zone Safety Act of 2005, convictions of two or more speeding violations in a work zone could result in the suspension of an individual’s driver’s license.
PHOTOS: Photos from 2012 by Howard Owens.
If this is the same bridge I
If this is the same bridge I am thinking it is, it is hard to believe it carries 1,500 vehicles in a day. Thankful it is being repaired, but it feels they are overselling this a bit. I have no understanding of what it cost to build a bridge but $1.4 million seems a bit steep to me. Wouldn’t be a terrible price to pay if some of that money went into the hands of local workers.
David, I don't understand
David, I don't understand your last sentence. The money will go to local workers as they will be the ones doing the tear down and replacement of the bridge. BTW, those concrete side rails should be preserved as a piece of modern art. An example of what road salt can to to concrete.
David, the money will go
David, the money will go to whatever company gets the bid. No telling really who that will be. Could be a Genesee County company or one from WNY, or out of state. As for the cost, remember, in New York, you have to pay the "Prevailing Wage" (union rate)for government contracts. That cost you a lot more. We also have the "scaffold law" that no other State in the Union has. That adds an awful lot to the cost of all work in NY.
But that bridge needs to be fixed and this is long overdue.
Thank you for your response
Thank you for your response Tom and John. I did find an article on the DailyNewsOnline that mentions a town meeting that took place, it does appear this will go up for bid this summer. https://www.thedailynewsonline.com/bdn01/bethany-center-road-bridge-to-…