Greenkill bridge work timetable unknown
City had hoped to start the project in the fall
KINGSTON >> A construction timetable for replacement of the Greenkill Avenue Bridge is now unknown as state and city officials go back and forth on details of a contract. City Engineer Ralph Swenson said Friday that the state Department of Transportation has raised questions about a potential pact with a contractor both he and Mayor Steve Noble have recommended to hire. In an Aug. 19 letter, the state Department of Transportation requested a number of documents pertaining to the $2.3 million pro-
ject. Additionally, the state has indicated that an apprenticeship program including in the contract will need to be removed. Swenson said that while the program was a locally approved one it is not a federally
accepted one. Funding for the project is coming from the Federal Highway Administration funneled through the state. “We have a locally approved apprenticeship program but it was not approved by the Federal Highway Administration so it can’t be included as part of the project,” Swenson said. State Department of Transportation spokeswoman
Gina M. DiSarro said municipalities must get approval by the state and federal government on use of apprenticeship programs. “If municipalities want to include apprenticeship programs as part an FHWA (Federal Highway Administration) funded project, they must be reviewed and approved by NYSDOT and the FHWA,” DiSarro said in an email. “Using an unapproved
program could render the contract ineligible for FHWA Federal Aid.” Swenson said the city will soon supply the information to the state, probably next week. But Swenson said that a timetable for the bridge replacement is now unknown. The city had hoped to start the project this fall. The city estimated the Midtown job would cost $3.5
million, but the highest bid submitted was just under $2.8 million. The lowest bid, about $2.03 million, came from Bette & Cring Construction Group. That company has been recommended for the project by Noble and Swenson. The state Department of Transportation also must sign off on the chosen bid. The 64-year-old bridge carries Greenkill Avenue over
Broadway, adjacent to a CSX railroad bridge, and has been deemed too badly deteriorated to repair. The bridge, built in 1952, is about 86 feet long and is used by about 4,000 vehicles per day, according to a study conducted last year. The city has resisted closing the bridge because doing so would force traffic to onto the already-busy Broadway corridor.