Etna Lane bridge construction nears completion

The project to install a brand-new bridge on Etna Lane over Fall Creek in the town of Dryden is close to completion. According to Tompkins County Highway Director Jeff Smith, the bridge project is slated to wrap by the end of this month.

“It’s going very well,” Smith added, referring to the bridge area on Etna Lane, which has been closed since the spring due to construction.

The description of the project noted the involvement of replacing the existing single-span steel through-girder bridge, which included small sidewalks, with a new single-span steel girder two-lane bridge. The enhanced structure will be supported on concrete integral abutments founded on driven steel H-piles.

“The bridge will be constructed on the existing horizontal alignment and an improved vertical profile,” the bridge project description notes.

Smith added that the new bridge will have two 10-foot traffic lanes, two 6-foot shoulders and “wide” shoulders complementing “ample” walkways for pedestrians.

The walkway, according to the description, will replace the temporary pedestrian crosswalk that’s been utilized throughout bridge construction.

The original Etna Lane bridge had a lifespan of over 60 years. For the new bridge, Smith anticipates a 50-to-70-year lifespan — and possibly more.

Almost all of the funds for the bridge project are covered by the state’s BridgeNY program. The program covers 95% of the project’s funds ($1,934,200), with 5% from local shares ($101,800).

The anticipated and mostly finalized cost of the bridge project is over $2 million.

Smith noted the replacement of the bridge on Etna Lane “came at the right time.” Since the 1980s, salt trucks have been used to main snow and ice on the roads.

The buildup of salt over the past decades, Smith said, “inherently accelerated” corrosion on the old steel-deck bridges in most municipalities, including the original Etna Lane bridge.

“It turned into quite a bit of a maintenance nightmare for all municipalities who owned steel-deck bridges,” Smith added, noting that the corrosion on the steel beams and “a lot of breaking loose” required the county to “continually go out and reattach the steel.”

“The concrete [on a bridge] is much more resilient,” he said. “It’s also designed in a way that there’s less joints where the moisture can penetrate as earlier deterioration. It’s made to control the stormwater.”

Smith said the bridge is on schedule to open soon due to beams being set “several weeks ago,” and the pouring of the concrete deck, completed last week.

“Pouring a concrete deck on a bridge has a lot of planning that goes into it,” he added. “There’s a specialized Bid-Well screed for it, which is a big contraption set over the top of the bridge.”

Smith noted the concrete deck involves a “continuous pour” at a 140-foot span and includes 150 yards of concrete. The beams, which Smith said cost $135,000 apiece, were each 138 feet long and 22 tons.

The description of the project also notes “approximately 300 feet” of approach roadway reconstruction “will be required to tie the bridge into the existing roadway.”

“They’ll work to refine it as they move along,” Smith said, as his county highway workers and others continue to put the finishing touches on the new bridge in the coming weeks.

Dryden Dispatch appears every Wednesday in Tompkins Weekly. Send story ideas to editorial@VizellaMedia.com.

In brief:

Southworth Library to hold ‘Llama Llama Read-o-Rama’ this Saturday

Southworth Library, located at 24 W. Main St. in the village of Dryden, will hold a Llama Llama Read-o-Rama at 10:30 a.m. Saturday.

The event will have fun llama stories with Gail Fulkerson and her llama. Other stories, crafts and activities will also be included. To register for the event, go to southworthlibrary.org.

Birdwatching presentation this Thursday

Southworth Library is holding a presentation by Jody Enck, “Birdwatching: Discovering the birds in our area,” at 6 p.m. Oct. 6.

The presentation will show the joys and adventures of birdwatching. Enck will bring his perspective as a conservation social scientist. He’ll also bring his experience as the founder of the Sister Bird Club Network on the world of birds and those who watch them.

Those interested in attending the presentation are asked to register at southworthlibrary.org to reserve a spot and a free copy of the Bird Watchers log book. Supplies are limited to the first 15 people who register for the presentation.

The presentation is the first in a new monthly Thursday evening lecture and discussion series at the library.

Books & Brew meets on Oct. 27

Southworth Library’s Books & Brew will meet at 6 p.m. Oct. 27 at Hopshire Farm & Brewery at 1771 Dryden Rd. in Freeville.

The meeting will focus on the hocus pocus: fiction, nonfiction or movies. Books are available to borrow at the library — be sure to check out the library’s display for ideas! Those interested are welcome to share their finds while enjoying a cold beverage of choice and some snacks.