If you’re traveling to Schoharie, better give yourself extra time to get there.
For the next 2-3 months, the Schoharie County Department of Public Works will be making repairs to the Bridge Street bridge, work that could delay traffic for as long as 15-20 minutes in one direction—or both.
The repairs will focus on repairing structural joints and piers, DPW Commissioner Dan Crandell said Monday, and come even as work begins on preliminary engineering and rights-of-way for an even bigger project:
Replacing the bridge.
“Our intent is not to have to do a bridge closure, but there may be some traffic delays,” Mr. Crandell said.
Mr. Crandell has been seeking funding to replace the bridge for years.
In January, it was flagged by the state for safety issues, specifically concerns over the continued erosion of rocker bearings, pins, and gussets; it’s now posted with an 18-ton weight limit.
Mr. Crandell said the county has been awarded a $478,000 grant from Congresswoman Elise Stefanik, money that will go to that preliminary work.
The cost of replacing the bridge—an eventuality—is about $15 million—and climbing.
The county could hear in June whether it’s received a Federal Highway Administration grant to cover all or part of that cost.
Even if that’s successful, a new bridge will be a long time coming: Mr. Crandell said from inception to completion will likely take anywhere from 4-10 years.