Officials hear Milo bridge replacement plans

Sep 04, 2012 at 03:25 pm by Observer-Review


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Officials hear Milo bridge replacement plans

    MILO—The Yates County Highway Department held an informational meeting regarding the replacement of the bridge along Old East Lake Road Thursday, Aug. 30. At the meeting, members of Barton and Loguidice discussed the different changes that would be made to the bridge, and heard the concerns of the owners of nearby properties, as well.
    Senior Project Engineer Wendell Buckman said the condition of the current bridge that was built to cross a Keuka Lake tributary in 1956 is slowly deteriorating. Buckman said the current bridge is also designed to hold a nine ton load, but will be replaced with a bridge capable of bearing a 25 ton load. Senior Vice President Matthew Schooley said the project will ultimately cost $730,000, with 80 percent of the price covered by federal funds, 15 percent by state and 5 percent by local funds.
    Buckman said there will be almost no change in the current profile of the road, with the proposed width remaining at nine feet and extending the overall bridge length 1.5 feet to a total length of 28.5 feet. He said the shoulder of the road will be extended by half a foot, putting the proposed total width at two feet.
    Superintendent of the Yates County Highway Department David Hartman said the current steel bridge will be replaced by a concrete structure capable of lasting 75 years of service life. Hartman said two bridges in the county have already been closed, with a third about to close, and he does not want more to be shut down.
    Mary Worth, who resides at 505 East Lake Road adjacent to the bridge, expressed her concerns over the bridge replacement, saying the widened road will encourage speeding through the area. Buckman said since the bridge is only being slightly expanded, it will should not encourage much additional speeding and will retain the same right-of-way. Hartman said any driver speeding through the area will be liable for it.
    Worth also addressed the condition of the water line running under the bridge, saying it is corroding and “seriously degrading.” Hartman said the county was not happy when Milo cut holes in the existing bridge to run the line through it and said the pipe would be rerouted underneath the creek bed below where it belongs. Hartman also said the sewer line is well away from the project area and will not need to be touched.
    Worth also brought up the lag wall, which she described as “big ugly concrete blocks,” and why it was put in, also claiming the blocks were being eroded on their underside. Hartman said the wall was put in to slow down the water running through there to prevent scour on the footings. Schooley and Buckman said the lag wall is not included in the bridge replacement project and they will not be doing anything regarding it.
    Buckman said the project is in preliminary designs now and will end sometime in October. He said the next step includes plans, specifications and estimate which will occur in July of 2013. Buckman said the project will go to construction in the spring of 2014 and is slated for completion by September 2014.

 

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