Department of transportation bridge presentation contains unpleasant surprises
June 27, 2008
by Susie Pender
Soon, as you leave downtown Chappaqua over the Route 120 bridge, you’ll be able to look down and see big machinery gathering on the vacant lot where the former Chappaqua Drama Group was once housed. You can watch the creation of the staging area throughout the summer as you experience your last trips over the stone bridge. September will see the start of real construction.
At its Tuesday night work session, the town board hosted representatives from the New York State Department of Transportation, who presented an overview to the board and the public of the final construction plans for the $18 million replacement of the Route 120 bridge.
Four factors combine to make work site a challenge
As part of her presentation, NYS Department of Transportation Regional Director Joan Dupont pointed out the four factors at this work site that in combination make the project a particularly challenging job for the agency. First, because of the railroad, she noted, “we’re only allowed to work over it during the wee small hours of the night and that work is up in the air.”
Second, they must maintain access to the train station, including pedestrian access, at all times. To do that, they will construct a pedestrian bridge. At the same time, Dupont explained, “the Saw Mill Parkway ramps bring a lot of traffic right smack dab into the middle of this project site, and we can’t close those off either.”
The third consideration is that the project “is right up adjacent to a very vibrant, active, strong business district. We want people to be able to continue to shop there easily,” said Dupont. And, she concluded, “the schools add substantial traffic — bus, car and student pedestrians — several times a day.”
In closing, she predicted, “I will not pretend to you that this will be easy, but I am sure that you’ll have, when we’re done, an award-winning bridge that you’ll all be proud of.”
News of lane closures surprises public and, apparently, board members
Dupont turned over the presentation to Edward O’Leary, who noted that, as indicated on the plans, lane closures are permitted during the hours of 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. During these lane closures, two-way traffic over the bridge will alternate, sharing one lane.
To a community recently frustrated by the delays of up to 45 minutes for a gas main replacement along Route 117 over the last month, this statement came as a disconcerting surprise. Expressing the view of many in attendance, Manny Areces stated during the question and answer session, “it has been presented all along that the reason that the bridge needed to be widened to three lanes was to maintain two lanes of traffic during construction at all times, 24/7.”
Town Supervisor Barbara Gerrard concurred, “That was our understanding.”
Indeed, in the glossy brochure prepared by the department of transportation in March and distributed at Tuesday’s meeting, under “Project Information,” it states: “Bridge Width: The width of the bridge is controlled by the need to maintain two lanes of traffic during construction and to support the Town’s various hamlet plans. . . . Two lanes of traffic across the bridge will be maintained throughout the construction of the new bridge by using a “narrowed” existing bridge for 2 lanes in Stage 1 and a portion of the new bridge for 2 lanes in Stage 2.”
In an attempt to clarify, O’Leary indicated that these closures would be occasional, “on perhaps three days out of a month, and then you could go a month without another closure, for a concrete pour on a pier, or to receive a delivery, or at night when they lift out beams over the railroad.”
Gerrard concluded, “It appears from the presentation that this is different from our understanding. But I am trusting the DOT. They will have staff here in Chappaqua and emergency responders will be notified.”
Email exchange suggests that lane closures were not a surprise to town board
In an exchange of emails this March between New Castle resident Tom Kasulka and Jerry Faiella, town administrator, on which Gerrard was copied, it would appear that the town board was well aware that there would be lane closures.
“With regard to traffic flow, I did some research, and it appears that two way traffic is to be maintained during peak hours (M – F, 7 – 9am and 4 – 6PM, Sat 10 to 4pm) Is that consistent w/your understanding,” asked Kasulka in an email to Faiella on March 12, 2008, with a copy to Gerrard.
“There will always be two way traffic, however during the construction there will be temporary lane closures as barricades shift or steel is put in place. Those temporary closures cannot be made during the peak hours regardless,” Faiella responded that same day.
New Castle resident suggests broad detour plan could help with traffic snarls
Donald Weisstuch, a retired professional engineer, proposed that a broader traffic management plan might be a good idea. “Even ten minutes of lane closure can produce back-ups that will take an awfully long time to unravel,” he pointed out. He suggested that someone needs to look at “how to mitigate the impact [of these lane closures] and carefully understand how you inform people of upcoming closures.”
He proposed a much larger area in which to detour traffic, down Roaring Brook Road to the Saw Mill Parkway, through Pleasantville to the south, and by way of routes 133 and 117 to the north.
Stephen Germinaro, the engineer in charge of the project from the department of transportation who will be on site every day in Chappaqua, said that the design and traffic people at the agency would need to be consulted regarding any formal detour plan.
Notification of lane closures
Germinaro, who will be on site “100% of the time” and has 18 years of experience with department of transportation projects throughout Westchester County, explained after the presentation in response to reporters’ questions that he will be in contact with the superintendent of the schools, the town board and the emergency services agencies in New Castle to obtain their input on lane closures. “I will have to get a feel for the traffic, the behavior of the residents.”
He and O’Leary agreed that, practically speaking, the 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. window will be sufficient for lane closure purposes. “There is no practical use for the 3 - 5 window. By the time we set up for the lane shift, it would be time to dismantle it.”
Gerrard pointed out that the town set up their E-Alert system a few months ago in anticipation of using it to keep community members informed about delays on the bridge. NewCastleNOW.org will also publish daily updates to inform the residents of lane closure times.
The law of unintended consequences
One resident at the public meeting on Tuesday saw a silver lining in the black cloud of frustration over delays caused by the prospect of lane closures. “Maybe parents will find it so difficult to get over the bridge that they will be enticed into putting their children on the school bus instead of driving them!”
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