Westchester outlines plan to fast‑track Ward Avenue bridge as part of Mamaroneck flood mitigation

Westchester County representatives told the Mamaroneck Board of Trustees on Nov. 24 they plan to begin local work on the Ward Avenue bridge to accelerate flood‑mitigation benefits while the Army Corps’ larger project remains delayed. Joan McDonald, Director of Operations for Westchester County, said the county has set aside roughly $18,000,000 for the local share and that replacing Ward Avenue is estimated at about $22,000,000.

McDonald said the county proposed starting on locally owned bridges — including Ward Avenue — before the Army Corps completes its federal agreements and permitting. “We thought why can't we move forward with our projects Needle Lane and Halsted Avenue, which are county owned bridges,” McDonald said, adding that Stantec has been retained for preliminary engineering and design work and that design is expected to begin in January and take 12–18 months.

Why it matters: The bridge sits furthest downstream on the affected reach and, county and village officials said, its replacement would have outsized benefits for flood relief. McDonald also said recent federal infrastructure legislation reduced the Army Corps’ required local share to 5%, a change that makes starting local work more feasible as part of the Corps’ ultimate package.

Village staff and a county liaison outlined next steps: the county and village must execute an intermunicipal agreement (IMA) spelling out roles, the village remains responsible for any land acquisition and long‑term maintenance, and both sides must complete environmental reviews (SECRA at the state level and NEPA for federally implicated work). Dennis, a village representative, said the village will coordinate with the county and apply for state DEC grants for complementary projects such as channel widening and pedestrian‑bridge removal where appropriate. He noted a separate Center Avenue pedestrian‑bridge project carries an estimated budget of $5,700,000 and will require traffic and environmental study.

The trustees voted to give the village manager provisional authority to sign the IMA once the final legal documents are delivered and reviewed by trustees. The board’s authorization is conditioned on receiving the written agreement; staff said the document was expected within days of the meeting.

What’s next: County staff will advance 30%, 60% and subsequent design milestones and return to the board with updates; the village will review the IMA and required environmental approvals before the county begins physical work. If design proceeds on the 12–18 month timetable, the village can expect staged updates and additional opportunities for public review.