FULTON, NY – The traffic pattern has once again changed in Fulton as the first phase of the Broadway bridge project was completed and a new batch of construction began.
“Construction on the north side is on schedule,” Gene Cilento of NYS DOT told Oswego County Today. “Nightly work is being done to replace steel. The process then follows what happened during the first phase – deck pan installation, the reinforcing steel bars get placed and then the deck is poured and cured. At the moment, it looks as if the project will go over another winter with completion in early/mid 2014 – June or July.”
As the bridge is part of Route 3, it’s owned by the state and the city doesn’t have anything to do with the construction.
After the north end of the bridge is complete, construction moves into phase 3 which will add permanent sidewalks to the bridge.
“The sidewalk there now on the south side will be used during the second construction phase currently under way,” said Cilento. “Once the remaining part of the deck is built, the temporary sidewalk will be removed and the permanent sidewalks, on both sides of the bridge, will be installed in Phase 3, next year.”
State DOT currently doesn’t have plans to add to or change the temporary sidewalk in light of last week’s event where a woman jumped from the bridge. The woman climbed out of the Oswego River on her own and was unharmed.
However, the state is open to a discussion about the bridge’s safety with Fulton Police.
“I have had no concerns expressed to me by the public about the safety of the bridge or sidewalk up to this point,” said Traffic Lieutenant Jason Delano of Fulton PD.
In regards to last week’s incident, Delano added, “As far as I can tell, the sidewalk itself had nothing to do with that decision or allowed for an easier opportunity to do that.”
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Why is the side that has been completed so rough? Other than the steel expansion joints being gone, the surface is not even close to smooth. The state should have went with the same company used in Oswego when they did the bridge there since it is the way it should be. The city could however put an advanced green arrow to turn left onto 481 from the Oneida bridge to help alleviate backed up traffic. I know people have asked for this for years and nobody seems to listen, but with the other bridge under construction it is ridiculous that this hasn’t been taken care of.
For crying out loud the bridge is being improved. How has the temporary wash board road hurt you? Do you think that you could do a better job than the experts? It seems that NYS is giving us a good buck, finally for our tax dollars. I wish that the signal on W. Second and Broadway Streets would be permanent. It is important for residents who must cross to shop at the stores, especially for kids who like to get a slice of pizza or a bag of chips.