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Lyons bridge to close for three months FOLLOW THE SIGNS: Motorists will be directed around the detour.
By STEPHANIE KNARR LYONS - As part of a $1.3 million capital project, the Route 31 bridge that crosses the Canandaigua Outlet in the village of Lyons will be replaced. The bridge will be closed to traffic through the first week in July. Local traffic can access side roads and driveways on both sides of the bridge. A detour will be posted directing eastbound motorists south on Route 88, east on Route 96 and then north on Route 14. The reverse will be posted for motorists traveling west. An incentive/disincentive clause has been worked into the contract to minimize the time the bridge will be closed. The new bridge will have two travel lanes, shoulders and a sidewalk along the north side. The contractor is Ramsey Constructors of Lakeville, in Livingston County. Meanwhile, the West Water Street bridge, which has been red-flagged by state inspectors for various conditions over the last several years, will be replaced in 2009 and 2010. There are several options for completing the construction of that bridge. The first option is to detour traffic for a period of six to eight months. The option is the most disruptive to the West Water Street residents; however, it is the least expensive option for the village taxpayers. Fire Chief Chuck Witt said that the detour would add an additional six minutes to the response time of an emergency, but did say that three of the departments trucks can make that trip safely. The second option is to construct a temporary bypass alongside the current bridge. Additional funds would have to be paid to cover the additional construction. This would extend the length of time to complete the project, as there will be an additional construction stage. The third option is to build the new bridge in phases. This would result in one lane being constructed at a time, to allow for travel during the whole length of the construction. This, like the bypass bridge, would be expensive and would extend the length of the construction by two to four months or more. The board decided that the best option would be to detour the traffic and construct the new bridge in one single phase with the shortest construction time. There are also two options for the material of the bridge: concrete or steel. The concrete arch design would be more aesthetically pleasing, but more expensive than the steel bridge. However, the steel bridge would require more maintenance over time. Additional concerns regarding the maintenance of the steel structure were mentioned, as the bridge covers Ganargua Creek and extra care must be taken to avoid contaminating the water. This federally funded project will cost approximately $1.4 million. The taxpayer responsibility will be 5 percent of the total cost. Eight percent is paid for federally, and the state will fund 15 percent. Copyright
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