By Melanie Lekocevic
Capital Region Independent Media
SELKIRK — The state on Thursday unveiled plans for a new bridge to be built on Route 9W over the train tracks in Selkirk.
The replacement bridge is a $17 million project that will be paid for by the state, according to the New York State Department of Transportation.
DOT officials unveiled the plans at an open house in the lobby of Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk High School and met with residents to answer questions Thursday, but there was no official presentation of the plans.
“This project includes demolishing the existing bridge carrying U.S. Route 9W over the CSX and Canadian Pacific Railway tracks and building a safe, modern new structure at the same location,” according to a brochure handed out at the open house.
During construction, a portion of the bridge will remain open, with one lane going in each direction, so traffic will not have to be diverted to an alternate route during the construction period.
Once work begins, construction is expected to take about one year, according to DOT officials.
The new bridge will be narrower than the existing bridge and will have two lanes rather than the four lanes on the current structure, and the roadway leading to the bridge will also be reconfigured.
“The project also includes reconfiguring the existing roadway section between Finke Equipment and Locust Drive,” according to the DOT. “From Finke Equipment to Old Ravena Road/Hoffman Street, the proposed roadway will change from two lanes in each direction to a single lane in each direction with a two-way left turn lane. From Old Ravena Road/Hoffman Street to Locust Drive, the proposed roadway will change from two lanes in each direction to a single lane in each direction.”
Traffic patterns on the bridge do not justify keeping the current configuration of four lanes, with two lanes in each direction, according to the project’s plans.
The current bridge was built in 1976 and has outlived its useful life, according to the DOT.
Construction on the replacement bridge is expected to begin in 2024 and is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2025, according to the DOT.
Creighton Manning, based in Albany, is the engineering consultant for the project.
Written comments about the project may be submitted to Kenneth Davis, P.E., New York State Department of Transportation Project Manager, 50 Wolf Road, Albany, NY 12232 or by calling 518-457-5691.
