WCAX.COM Local Vermont News, Weather and Sports-Future of Crown Point Bridge Unclear

Future of Crown Point Bridge Unclear

Chimney Point, Vermont - October 8, 2009

It will be several more weeks before repairs on the Crown Point Bridge are complete. That is what New York State Department of Transportation officials told a crowd of nearly 200 gathered in Addison, Thursday night.

Even after the repairs are finished the long term future of the bridge is still a big question. The work being done now is a temporary patch. When crews wrap up the repairs officials will have to analyze the work before both lanes can be reopened.

"To make sure that all the repairs that were made are sufficient to carry the loads that we anticipate," says Project Manager James Boni.

It will be several years before a permanent fix is in place. The bridge has major structural damage and will eventually need to be fully rebuilt or replaced. Boni says the DOT is also considering replacing the bridge with a ferry or moving the bridge closer to Ticonderoga.

"We're not really leaning one way or the other at this point," he says.

The owners of the ferry between Ticonderoga and Shoreham say moving the bridge or adding a ferry would put them out of business.

"We'd like to see the bridge stay," says Alison Matot, who owns the ferry business with her husband. "It's a very popular bridge I think people really enjoy having that bridge here."

During the construction officials have been conducting a study. They have been asking drivers stopped at the red lights on either side of the bridge about how often they use the bridge, when, and for what reason. The study found about 50 percent of the people that use the bridge during the week live on one side and work on the other.

Clayton Warner is one of those people. He lives in Port Henry, NY but works in Waltham, VT.

"I'd like to see a new one because what's inside, that steel, it's all rotted," says Warner.

For commuters like Warner the bridge provides a vital link. They use it for work, recreation, and to go to doctors appointments. Crossing it is a daily part of life.

Boni says it is unlikely there will be a cost difference among the replacement options so the results of the study could be a determining factor in how to move forward.

"We got those numbers now and basically what we want to do is take a closer look at the actual origin and destinations of where people are coming to and from," says Boni.

Also factoring into the decision is an environmental study. It is still in the works and the results could eliminate some of the options the DOT is considering. Because there is so much to consider Boni says it will take at least four years for them to determine which replacement is best and to have that project ready to go.

Bianca Slota - WCAX News