By Lauren Young

Staff Writer

Next summer, the bridge on Interstate 690 over Bridge Street will experience a much-needed makeover — the first one in nearly 37 years.

The state DOT held an open house meeting for the bridge rehabilitation project in the Village of East Syracuse on April 19. The last major work done on the bridge, built in 1971, was performed in 1981.

“Originally this was just supposed to be a quick overlay job,” said Michael Wereszynski, a DOT representative. After a quick inspection of the bridge was performed about eight months ago, the crew decided the aging structure “didn’t look too good.”

Following a preliminary analysis, the DOT determined that the bridge needed a new bridge deck replacement, replacement of its existing joints, pedestals and structural supports, bridge rail replacement with concrete barrier, repairs and repainting of the steel beams and the removal and replacement of deteriorated concrete on the piers and abutments.

According to a DOT press release, their goal is to replace “severely deteriorated bridge decks in a cost-effective manner with the least impact to motorists.” Structures like the piers, columns and abutments will be repaired to achieve “optimal condition for a period of 25 years.”

The preliminary cost for the project is estimated at $7.28 million.

The two lanes of traffic in each direction on I-690 will remain available at all times, with construction taking place in two stages, Wereszynski. Stage one will feature two open traffic lanes during construction and stage two will shift traffic to the other side of the bridge during construction. Both directions will be worked on simultaneously.

A lane closure will be necessary on Bridge Street to allow repairs for the bridge piers and girders. Nighttime detour routes on Bridge Street may occur during demolition of the existing bridge deck to keep traffic disruption to a minimum and to avoid daytime closures of Bridge Street.

The complete project design is slated for this fall, with construction beginning in summer 2019 and ending later that fall, Wereszynski said.