The Wall Street bridge in Homer. The bridge has been closed off since 2019. (Photo via Google Maps).
Village of Homer officials announced earlier this week both the town and village plan to replace the bridge on Wall Street overlooking the Tioughnioga River.
“We are looking at a one lane walkway right next to it. We gotta talk to the nearby residents and that is the next step,” Village deputy mayor Patrick Clune said Tuesday. “The engineering is looking at the preliminary work because we have a pump station and a drain line that exists out there.”
The bridge closed down in 2019 and belongs to the town of Homer. Clune is part of the bridge committee, which is composed of officials from both municipalities.
Although it is likely that replacement is the way both municipalities go, Clune said there are other options.
“Right now it is looking like a replacement,” he said. “One of the other things that came up is that it is a historic bridge district. The bridges on Wall Street, Water Street, and Pine Street, when we went to the national historic register they decided to designate all three bridges together. That being said, we were looking at moving the bridge to maintain its historic relevance. That is on the table, but we are going to be replacing that structure there so it meets the current standards needed for the emergency vehicles.”
Clune said the bridge should be able to handle heavy traffic such as the Homer Fire Department’s ladder truck.
“It would make no sense to put another bridge that can’t handle apparatus,” he added.
Clune said architecture firm HUNT Engineers, Architects and Surveyors for preliminary work on the project.
Homer town supervisor Fred Forbes said the town will seek funding through the state’s BridgeNY program. According to BridgeNY guidelines, the grant program bases its evaluations on the structural condition of the bridges, as well as its resiliency and significance based upon traffic volumes, detour considerations, and the commercial impact of the bridges.
“Our desire is, once this is submitted to BridgeNY, that they will fund it,” he said. “Should that happen, the town’s portion will be 5 percent of the total project. So for a $1 million project, we would have to come up with $50,000. It’s been submitted to bridge New York two different times in the past and not been accepted.”
Forbes said the HUNT architectural firm might be the key to receiving funding this time around.
“I believe they are doing a lot more paperwork behind the scenes to come up with compliance,” he said. “There’s been talk of a two-lane bridge, there’s been talk of a one-lane bridge with a sidewalk, but we are very happy with how it’s all coming along.”
The project is still in its early stages and will continue to be discussed by municipal leaders and members of the bridge committee. BridgeNY applications are due at the end of next month.
