by Carol Sweeney, Town Supervisor

The New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) expects the contract for the new Apalachin/Campville bridge to be awarded by May 1 to Tioga Construction Co. of Herkimer. Construction will start almost immediately since the bridge must be completed by July 2001. During construction, the Route 17 westbound on ramp will be closed, and westbound on traffic will be detoured down Route 434 to Exit 65 (Owego at Hiawatha Bridge). The Exit 66 Westbound off ramp will be kept open.

In conjunction with the bridge construction, the Route 434 Eastbound Safety Widening project will be completed. This includes wider shoulders, some bike lanes, and final paving and marking of this entire area of Route 434. The portion of Route 434 affected is from the light at Exit 66 in Apalachin to the Broome/Tioga County line.

It will be exciting to watch the long-awaited construction of this new river crossing this summer!