LIVINGSTON COUNTY – Explosives demolished the final 'tower' that once supported the famous iron trestle over the upper falls Tuesday morning. One of the park's most frequent visitors, Ken Wallace, was there to record the moment. "It was a sobering moment that was replaced by a whole new look above the Upper Falls. For the first time I saw the new arch bridge in all its glory standing alone," posted Wallace. "The old trestle will be greatly … [Read more...]
Rte. 63 Roundabout and Bridge Means Only Short-Term Closures
GENESEO – The bridge replacement and roundabout project for the Rte. 63 bridge between Geneseo and York will mean that there will be only short-term closures as the project nears completion. At a public comment meeting Wednesday, the NYS Department of Transportation presented their proposal to replace the existing bridge with a 'modern multi-girder 2-span structure' with two 12-foot wide travel lanes and two eight-foot wide shoulders. A … [Read more...]
WATCH: Letchworth’s New Arch Bridge Takes its First Train Across Gorge
LIVINGSTON COUNTY – Bobby Gelser took this video as the new arch bridge over the upper falls at Letchworth State Park took its first train across the gorge Monday. According to a press release from Norfolk Southern Corp, who operate that railroad, the 963-foot-long steel arch railroad span bridge allows trains to pass over the 235-foot river gorge in Letchworth. The 142-year-old trestle is to be demolished. “This is a very exciting day for … [Read more...]
SUN EXCLUSIVE: Cake Place Outdoes Itself as Letchworth Bridge Retires
AVON – The Cake Place, now known nationwide for their stunning edible artwork, put together a true masterpiece to commemorate the end of an era, the trestle bridge at Letchworth State Park's upper falls. Dedicated park goers know that the iconic trestle bridge will be torn down and rail traffic will go to the new arch bridge that has been built over the past two years. "According to NS source: After 142 years of service, the Portageville … [Read more...]
DOT to Build Roundabout, Keep Traffic Open at Rte. 63 Bridge
GENESEO — New York State Department Of Transportation (NYSDOT) will keep the bridge on Rte. 63 open while a new bridge is built 65 feet south of it. NYSDOT finalized their plans, reaching out to local community members and regularly updating the Geneseo Village Board. "They plan to build a roundabout at the bottom of Court Street," said Mayor Richard Hatheway. "That will increase the safety and not disrupt traffic." NYSDOT will have to … [Read more...]
Final Arch Piece Joins Letchworth Rail Bridge
LIVINGSTON COUNTY – A final piece joined the east and west sections of the new rail bridge at Letchworth State Park on Wednesday. Ken Wallace, one of the Park's most passionate visitors, captured the moment that the final piece went in with a 50X zoomed shot from Inspiration Point. There is still a lot of work to do before the bridge is operational. Work is expected to continue through December 2018. The iconic 'trestle bridge' is still … [Read more...]
WATCH: Heart-Dropping Video Shot Atop New Letchworth Bridge
CASTILE – Breathtaking video from atop the in-progress railroad bridge above the upper falls puts the internet right in the construction site. New structure is visible on both sides of the gorge. As we watch, a train passes on the existing trestle bridge just 75 feet to the north of where the new bridge will stand. The classic bridge will continue to be in use throughout the project. The clip was originally posted by Facebook profile Mark … [Read more...]
Lima to Clear Up Problems with Cleary Road Bridge
LIMA – The Lima Town Board is working on plans to fix the Cleary Road bridge. Keith Arner, Lima Highway Superintendent, explained the need for a new structure at Lima's town board meeting. “To look at the bridge you don’t realize that it’s on a skew, but when they went out and did their field measurements it is actually on a slight skew,” said Arner. Bridge plans have been ongoing, and although the bridge does not meet length standards … [Read more...]
Feds and State to Cover 94.5% of County Bridge Maintenance Cost
LIVINGSTON COUNTY – The vast majority of a preventative maintenance project for four bridges in Livingston County will be paid for by New York State and Federal grant funds. According to Don Higgins, Livingston County’s Superintendent of Highways, of the $1.145 million required to prolong the lives of four bridges, Livingston County's share is just 5.5 percent. "This is a good thing for local government," said Higgins. "We will repair … [Read more...]
Bugs Almost Double Mount Morris Bridge Cost to $643K
CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story mistakenly said that the cost of this project was being quintupled by the newly discovered bug damage. MOUNT MORRIS – Livingston County's projected cost to replace Scipio Road's bridge deck over Keshequa Creek nearly doubled after experts found severe bug damage in its wooden deck. Donald Higgins, Livingston County's Superintendent of Highways, said that the early estimate for replacing the … [Read more...]