The $2.7 million deck-replacement project on the Route 31 bridge over the Erie Canal in the town of Lyons has taken longer than most expected.
Even officials, who thought the closure would last through November 2022, have confirmed that it will not reopen until October.
That’s nearly a full-year longer than residents or officials expected.
Why? According to Supervisor Jim Brady, who recently spoke with the Finger Lakes Times about the construction, the condition of the bridge was worse than expected.
One unexpected issue that’s come from this is a deteriorating Montezuma Street in Lyons. That’s not the ‘official’ detour, but it’s the one people are using. Brady told the Times that he thinks upwards of 1,000 cars a day are traveling down the street.
In his words, “It’s not holding up.”
Officials have asked the state Department of Transportation for assistance. The official detour is 27-miles long, and for locals, is quite inconvenient. It utilizes State Routes 14 and 104 respectively.
FingerLakes1.com is the region’s leading all-digital news publication. The company was founded in 1998 and has been keeping residents informed for more than two decades. Have a lead? Send it to [email protected]