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Politics & Government

MTA, County, Village Weigh in on 3 Offline Bridges

One of the structures has been closed since 2007.

Portions of several bridges around Brewster and Southeast have been unusable for some time now. Two of the structures have been offline for several years. Patch spoke with the respective agencies to get the bottom line on each. No immediate or short-term solution exists for any of the three bridges.

Morning Thorpe Avenue 

Located near the Brewster-Southeast border, this wood-decked, steel-truss bridge served as the link from Route 22 to the Village of Brewster for more than 100 years. It crosses the East Branch Croton River. 

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When it went offline: December 2007

Result: Southbound cars and trucks on Route 22 must proceed farther south and make an acute right turn onto Railroad Avenue. There is no traffic light.

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Status: Likely to remain offline, according to officials

Putnam County is responsible for this bridge. Emma Kounine, acting commissioner for the county's Highway Department, said that “various structural elements have deteriorated and have become unsound for vehicular traffic.” She named the rotting wood deck and "failing support systems," which would not allow for heavy loads.

"[There are] no definite plans at this time to rebuild the bridge," she said.

Because the bridge would likely cost millions to repair and a "perfectly functioning" structure — Railroad Avenue — sits so close, it is unlikely that the status of Morning Thorpe will change anytime soon, according to Kounine. She said that the county has and will continue to seek state and federal grants for Morning Thorpe, but has been denied a number of times.

"There are a lot of bridges throughout New York State that need repairs or replacing," she said. "It's hard to justify that one receiving close to $8 to $10 million."

Brewster Mayor James Schoenig said this bridge "will sit the longest.” He mentioned "interesting proposals" he has heard from residents, such as transforming the structure into a fishing bridge or a covered bridge. He said those options are unlikely to take shape.

"You can’t [even walk] on it," he said. "And no one has the money.”

Carmel Avenue (Route 6)

At the intersection of Carmel Avenue and North Main Street, this through-girder bridge has served the Village for nearly 75 years, accommodating both vehicular and pedestrian traffic. It is accessible to cars but the sidewalk that runs along the eastbound lane of traffic is closed.

When the sidewalk went offline: 2010

Result: Pedestrians must walk around the closed-off section or cross to use the sidewalk on the opposite side of the bridge.

Status: Uncertain

“The structure is unsound,” Schoenig said. “The sidewalks are crumbling. It’s unsafe for pedestrians — there are holes where people can fall through.”

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) is responsible for the structure, he said, adding that “the bridge is in dire need of repair."

But MTA spokeswoman Marjorie Anders says the MTA is only responsible for a portion of the four-span, 98-foot-long bridge. The village is responsible for the deck, pavement, sidewalks and median, Anders told Patch, referencing Railroad Law Section 93.

Last week Village Attorney Anthony Mole` sent the MTA a letter on behalf of Brewster officials. It contained two bridge inspection reports from the New York State Department of Transportation (from 2008 and 2010) and an April 2011 document from Village Engineer John Folchetti. In the correspondance, officials requested that the agency take "the appropriate measures to make the necessary repairs to the bridge."

"Upon a review of the enclosed documents, it is evident that the structural condition of the bridge is hazardous, poses a danger to the public and must be rectified immediately," the letter reads.

Prospect Hill Road 

Another 100-year-old structure, this timber-decked, 270-foot-long, through-truss bridge crosses over the tracks of the MTA's Metro-North Railroad.

When it went offline: December 2008

Result: Vehicles are forced to take a Route 6 detour.

Status: 70 percent of funds for a new bridge are lacking

According to Anders, the Prospect Hill Bridge is "basically beyond repair." She told Patch that "no one has actually estimated what it would cost to repair versus replace because you have to pay a consultant to do that. But the report would lead you to believe that the repair would be so extensive that the repair cost would be basically the same or just slightly less than replacement."

“It [the bridge] is structurally unsound,” Anders said. The MTA originally estimated that repairs would take "at least two months," according to this press release.

The MTA’s current capital program has allocated funds for the preliminary design of a new bridge, which would cover approximately 30 percent of the total project. The other 70 percent — for the actual designing and building — is currently unfunded.

“Lobby your state legislator to fund the MTA’s capital program,” Anders said.

Schoenig said it is only a matter of time before residents become up-in-arms about the closure.

“[Just] wait until the first fire happens on that street,” he said. “That’s when you’ll see the uproar.”

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