The weight limit on the Route 259 (Union Street) lift bridge over the Erie Canal in the Village of Spencerport was increased to 14 tons on Monday, April 3.
Lori Maher, regional public information officer for the New York State DOT, says the bridge had been posted at eight tons. The weight limit was raised to 14 tons following work completed by a NYSDOT bridge maintenance winter crew. Maher says the crew strengthened structural steel beams that were showing some deterioration during a recent inspection.
“The neat thing is that some of the workers assigned to plow snow in the winters were able to assist when it wasn’t snowing,” she says. “It took a few weeks to gain access under the bridge, but the actual repairs took a little more than a week.”
Timing for the work ended up being excellent, Maher explains. “Repairs were made without impacting traffic, and the bridge didn’t need to be raised to accommodate boat traffic.”
Once the repairs were finalized, new calculations were done which determined that the bridge can safely handle legal loads weighing 14 tons or less, Maher said.
The lower weight restrictions meant heavy trucks like snowplows and large garbage and recycling trucks have had to use alternate bridges such as the Washington Street and Manitou Road bridges.
Spencerport Mayor Gary Penders tells the Suburban News/Hamlin-Clarkson Herald the higher weight limit will remain in effect until a larger-scale repair project begins in 2018. The mayor says the NYSDOT is currently putting together a plan for construction regarding that project, which is not expected to begin until late in 2018.
