Motorists and walkers were treated to a welcome sight this morning with the reopening of the new River Street bridge that crosses over the Tonawanda Creek between West Main Street and South Main Street.
"It's kind of nice to hear cars going by again and I'm especially happy for the walkers -- those are the ones I'm most happy for," said Nann Zorn, who lives on River Street, a stone's throw from the span's southwest side. "It has had to have been tough for those who walk to Tops and other stores (in the area), back and forth."
Ramsey Constructors Inc. of Lakeville rebuilt the "post-tension" bridge (a specific type of construction, focusing on reinforcement). The project started in early June, taking four and a half months to complete.
"I have no complaints whatsoever (about the workers)," Zorn said. "They have been great. And people that say it took a long time, well, if it was the State of New York doing it, it would have been three years."
The project cost about $2 million, with $1.65 million of it covered by federal aid. New York State funds covered about $300,000, with Genesee County paying a bit more than $100,000.
Zorn, who lives in the house her mother grew up in, noted that the bridge was last replaced in 1975.
"We even have home movies of the bridge that was up before that," she said. "That one went up in the 1930s or '40s, and when they replaced it, they just dropped it in the creek."
Photo by Mike Pettinella.
