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County engineers say Stuyvesant Falls bridge faces new load-rating question; study and repairs possible
Summary
Columbia County staff told the Public Works Committee that a New York State DOT inspection flagged the Stuyvesant Falls bridge, which currently carries a 12-ton rating; county engineers plan a $20,000 load study and warned repairs could cost roughly $300,000 and that closure could extend into 2030 if weight limits are lowered.
Columbia County public works staff told the committee Sept. 17 that New York State Department of Transportation inspectors have placed a red-flag on the Stuyvesant Falls bridge after identifying an additional structural member that may affect the bridge's load rating.
"Right now, the load rating on that bridge is only 12 tons," said Speaker 3, the highway/engineering staff member presenting the update. He said DOT has asked the county to commission an updated load study to determine whether the rating must be reduced further or whether the bridge must be closed.
Speaker 3 said the county has reached out to the consultant that performed the 2022 load rating. "I'm estimating about $20,000 for that load study," he said, adding that the consultant already has much of the prior data and would only need to update the analysis.
The county engineer cautioned that re-rating or closure could have long lead times. He told the committee that earlier 2022 estimates for repairs were about $300,000 ("$250,000 for repairs with an additional $50,000 in design work") and called those measures a likely short-term fix if pursued.
Speaker 3 said closing the county road bridge now could leave it out of service until 2030, noting the county's project timeline has already been pushed to later years because of historic-preservation review steps for the structure. "If we close that bridge now, that is on a county road, and so that would mean that that probably wouldn't be opened until that 20 30," he said.
Committee members asked practical questions about interim options and costs. Speaker 3 said he has requested a proposal from the previous consultant and expects to receive it within weeks; once the county has the proposal he will request a special Public Works meeting to consider next steps.
Next steps: the county is awaiting a written proposal for a load study and a complementary cost estimate for repairs or removal; staff will present that information to the committee at a special meeting once it is received.
