Westchester Shuts Down Bridge Due to Structural Deficiencies
CORTLANDT, NY—The Town of Cortlandt, NY notified its residents on Nov. 6 that the Quaker Bridge (42-66 Quaker Bridge Road) in Croton-on-Hudson was “red flagged” by Westchester County and closed to vehicular traffic, effective immediately, due to structural deficiencies.
Town officials stated that the bridge, built in 1894, was known to be structurally impaired and plans have been underway to replace it with a brand-new bridge. The bridge is owned and maintained by the County of Westchester.
“The county notified us today that the bridge is officially closed, as it was deemed unsafe. The county will formulate long-term plans for its replacement. However, in the meantime, alternate routes will be necessary,” the town stated in the announcement.
Hernane N. De Almeida, P.E., Deputy Commissioner, Westchester County Department of Public Works & Transportation, told CONSTRUCTION NEWS that while the 130-year-old bridge has been rehabilitated over the years, the last rehabilitation was completed in 2010.
The bridge has low height restrictions and severely deteriorated steel members under the bridge deck that are difficult to reach for ongoing repairs. “As part of their recent annual bridge inspection, NYSDOT observed more severe deterioration of the steel members under the bridge deck than in previous inspections. These inspections occur every year for this bridge. Because of the condition of the bridge, repair options are not a viable alternative. The county has a responsibility to ensure a safe crossing for the traveling public. Westchester County DPW and its consultant are proceeding with a complete bridge replacement,” he stated.
Mr. De Almeida noted that the county has initiated the design for the replacement of the bridge. One component of the design process is developing a timetable for the construction duration. The county is targeting a construction start date in the third quarter of 2025 and is evaluating alternatives to accelerate that process.
He added that once the design comes into focus, the county can then determine a cost estimate for the bridge replacement project. In the meantime, the county has installed detour signage in the area of the bridge to re-route the traveling public.