State DOT seeks comments on Brewerton bridge project

By Ashley M. Casey

Associate Editor

The Route 11 bridge over the Oneida River and Barge Canal “needs some TLC,” a design engineer with LaBella Associates said at an Aug. 12 meeting hosted by the New York State Department of Transportation at Brewerton Elementary School. NYSDOT presented a range of five options for the Brewerton bridge and is accepting public comment on the alternatives.

“Last summer, we did a very thorough and in-depth inspection of the bridge,” said Steve Gauthier, a design engineer with LaBella Associates, which is working with NYSDOT to develop plans for the bridge.

Gauthier said that while the bridge is still safe for drivers, the state must decide on a solution soon.

“It’s at a point where it needs some TLC. I’m not saying that to alarm anybody,” he said. “There are areas of considerable deterioration, but the bridge is safe. We are at the point where we have to start thinking about the next step.”

The goal, Gauthier said, is to get at least 30 more years of use out of the bridge while choosing the most cost-effective and least disruptive option.

See the table that accompanies this article for the five alternatives the DOT outlined.

During construction, there would be a temporary detour bridge with alternating one-way traffic.

Cicero Parks and Recreation Director Jody Rogers said the bridge question is key to future improvements in the hamlet of Brewerton, which links the town of Hastings in Oswego County and the town of Cicero in Onondaga County.

“It’s a focal point for the community. It’s the only way our businesses in the hamlet are going to survive,” she said of the need to repair the bridge.

Rogers said the Brewerton Revitalization Project has been overseen by several administrations of Cicero town government over the years. The Cicero Town Board approved the original plan for the Brewerton Revitalization Project back in 2008, and construction began in 2013.

Phase I was completed in July 2014 with the construction of picnic tables, new streetlights, a 400-foot brick walkway and benches along the riverfront. Phase II involved the expansion of the walkway, access to the walkway, ramps, new lights and other improvements at Riverfront Park.

Back in December 2017, New York state awarded the town of Cicero $450,000 toward Phase III of the project, which includes curbing for Bennett Street, sidewalk installation, trees, landscaping and decorative lighting along Route 11 between Guy Young Road and Baldwin Street.

The Brewerton Local Waterfront Revitalization Program committee held an informational meeting in March about the latest proposal to revamp the hamlet. The LWRP’s most recent plans include a number of streetscape improvements and sidewalk installations in residential areas that make it safer and easier for pedestrians to traverse the hamlet. The plan also accounts for trails for hiking, cycling, snowmobiling and cross-country skiing.

“We’re making some headway,” Rogers said, adding that the LWRP committee is “staying strong.”

Town Councilor Judy Boyke, a lifelong Brewerton resident, said the local economy and first responders depend on the bridge.

“The concern for me was the integrity of the bridge. We need to know that in order to understand how soon we need to make the repair,” Boyke said. “It’s important to businesses to survive, to emergency medical services. For them not to have the means of getting there can’t be [acceptable].”

The LWRP committee favors a repair plan that maintains the superstructure of the bridge so it retains its distinctive character. Town officials are hoping construction can begin in 2021, but according to materials from the DOT, construction likely will take place between 2022 and 2023.

Whatever the DOT decides, Boyke acknowledged that construction will be an inconvenience but will be worth it in the long run.

“There’s no point in putting a Band-Aid on it,” she said.

NYSDOT’s presentation will be made available on the town of Cicero’s website. The comment deadline is Sept. 1.