Oxford residents raise concerns over bridge replacement
OXFORD – Project organizers laid out the most likely set of options to replace the deteriorating Oxford bridge at a public information meeting Tuesday.
“We are here to get community input. The final decisions will be decided as a result of the community’s desires, state mandates and cost,” said Project Manager David L. Kennicutt of Delta Engineering.
Plans to begin work in replacing the historic Oxford truss bridge in the center of the village have been rescheduled and will now begin in 2009.
The delay is due to the fact that the bridge, the surrounding area and even the “Oxford Crossing” itself are considered historical landmarks. “Additional precautions are being taken to preserve their significant community and historical value,” said Oxford Mayor Terry Stark.
During Delta Engineering’s presentation Tuesday, they recommended an open-top bridge with no interior railing and a center support column that goes from bridge into river bed.
“If you have seen the village bridge in Greene, it will be very similar to that,” said Kennicutt.
Members of the Oxford Academy school administration and other citizens expressed a concern over not placing a pedestrian barrier on the bridge between the traffic lanes and sidewalk.
“We contacted the state and they said it was highly irregular to have such a barrier. It can often cause more of a safety issue with pedestrians getting caught on the wrong side or particularly during snow removal, the walks would probably not get plowed as fast as the road and then you’ll have people walking in the road,” said Kennicutt.
The firm’s engineers also said a railing would be difficult to design because it must meet state impact demands and would not look attractive.
“As far as I know there has never been this sort of pedestrian-bridge type of accident that I know of anywhere in the county,” said county Public Works Director Randy Gibbon.
At the conclusion of the meeting, Mayor Stark, speaking on part of the steering committee, said it was likely they would endorse the proposed project but warned they may still attempt to have the pedestrian barrier installed.
The idea of replicating the truss bridge was abandoned due to the high cost of construction and maintenance.
The current truss bridge received a major overhaul in 1990. The bridge is regularly inspected but the damage found at the last inspection in 2005 was seriously worse than predicted.
The expected cost of building the new bridge will be $2.75 million. Federal aid is expected to cover 80 percent of the cost.
“We are here to get community input. The final decisions will be decided as a result of the community’s desires, state mandates and cost,” said Project Manager David L. Kennicutt of Delta Engineering.
Plans to begin work in replacing the historic Oxford truss bridge in the center of the village have been rescheduled and will now begin in 2009.
The delay is due to the fact that the bridge, the surrounding area and even the “Oxford Crossing” itself are considered historical landmarks. “Additional precautions are being taken to preserve their significant community and historical value,” said Oxford Mayor Terry Stark.
During Delta Engineering’s presentation Tuesday, they recommended an open-top bridge with no interior railing and a center support column that goes from bridge into river bed.
“If you have seen the village bridge in Greene, it will be very similar to that,” said Kennicutt.
Members of the Oxford Academy school administration and other citizens expressed a concern over not placing a pedestrian barrier on the bridge between the traffic lanes and sidewalk.
“We contacted the state and they said it was highly irregular to have such a barrier. It can often cause more of a safety issue with pedestrians getting caught on the wrong side or particularly during snow removal, the walks would probably not get plowed as fast as the road and then you’ll have people walking in the road,” said Kennicutt.
The firm’s engineers also said a railing would be difficult to design because it must meet state impact demands and would not look attractive.
“As far as I know there has never been this sort of pedestrian-bridge type of accident that I know of anywhere in the county,” said county Public Works Director Randy Gibbon.
At the conclusion of the meeting, Mayor Stark, speaking on part of the steering committee, said it was likely they would endorse the proposed project but warned they may still attempt to have the pedestrian barrier installed.
The idea of replicating the truss bridge was abandoned due to the high cost of construction and maintenance.
The current truss bridge received a major overhaul in 1990. The bridge is regularly inspected but the damage found at the last inspection in 2005 was seriously worse than predicted.
The expected cost of building the new bridge will be $2.75 million. Federal aid is expected to cover 80 percent of the cost.
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