A vital link in the lives of countless travelers through Chenango County came to a crushing end yesterday as workers dismantled and dropped the decades-old Halfway House Bridge. Also known as state Rt. 32B, the bridge spanned the Chenango River connecting county Rt. 32 with state Rt. 12. It is located approximately halfway between Norwich and Oxford.

A new, wider crossing will open in August, county public works officials say. The bridge replacement project represents about $3 million of an $8 million infrastructure multi-year overhaul of county Rt. 32, undertaken by the Chenango County in conjunction with the New York State Department of Transportation.