Assemblymember Kevin A. Cahill said today that the Wurts Street Bridge, recently closed for maintenance and inspection by the Department of Transportation, will be renovated and restored by the state for vehicular traffic.
The long-awaited project continues to be a priority for Region 8 DOT and it is actively evaluating the scope of the contract to reduce costs, said Cahill in a release. Previous bids submitted to DOT for the rehabilitation of the Wurts Street Bridge were not accepted and a rebidding process will commence.
“The bridge remains architecturally and historically significant for both its unique suspension design and its location over the route traversed by Sojourner Truth as an enslaved child,” said Cahill. “It has also connected our communities for a hundred years and should do so into the next century.”
“The Wurts Street Bridge is a vital connection between the City of Kingston and the Town of Esopus, for motorists, walkers and cyclists,” said Kingston Mayor Steve Noble. “Moving this project forward will help create jobs while also restoring a beloved landmark. I would like to thank Assemblymember Kevin Cahill for working to allocate funds and helping to preserve and rehabilitate this living piece of history”
Cahill said the Department of Transportation anticipates the project will be complete in two years, and that the timeline is dependent on the success of the rebidding process.
Prior to the assemblyman’s release, local officials were unsure what the state’s plans were for the bridge, closed since September 25. In the meantime, a petition was started to convert the bridge into a pedestrian walkway.
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