Work on Route 345 bridge in Madrid begins next week

MADRID — Construction on the Route 345 bridge in Madrid will begin next week, according to state Department of Transportation officials.

The contract for the work was awarded to Slate Hill Constructors Inc. of Warners. Contractors will be on site beginning this week to do preliminary work like putting up signs, setting up a field office and surveying. Toward the end of next week, actual construction work will begin as water and sewer lines are moved, according to Michael R. Flick, DOT spokesman.

"They're getting started. They're getting things laid out so they can move utilities," Supervisor William B. Carkner said. "We're looking forward to seeing it done. It'll be moving right along."

The bridge has been closed since last spring, when cracks in the nine-arch stone bridge were found to have widened considerably and the stability of the bridge could no longer be assured by the DOT. Since then, an 8-mile detour has cut the hamlet in half and caused problems for business owners and emergency response teams.

Originally, the bridge was not scheduled to reopen until the end of 2010, but impassioned complaints from residents got the $5.8 million project moved up to high priority status. In the north country, the $80 million Fort Drum connector road is the only other project with the same ranking.

The work will be done by Jan. 4, according to the contract with Slate Hill, Mr. Carkner said. However, there are incentives in it to encourage the contractors to work faster and get everything done before then, he said.

The bridge will remain open to foot traffic for an unspecified amount of time this summer. After it is closed, a shuttle service will pick pedestrians up from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays and from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends at the municipal parking lot on the south and the parking lot across from the Community Bank on the north.