Mayor Michael Villa held a press conference this morning to announce that the NY State Department of Transportation has notified him that they plan to conduct major repairs totaling $10.6 million on five different bridges in the City of Amsterdam. He said that work should begin in early 2020 and be completed by the end of the year. In most cases, the repairs will require lane closures and detours and will involve repair or replacement of railings, joints, and decking.
The five projects that Villa listed:
- Route 30 over Cleveland Avenue
- Route 30 ramp over Minaville Street
- Route 30 over Route 67
- Route 5 over the Chuctanunda Creek
- Route 30 over the Mohawk River
“This is a significant investment in our city,” said Villa. “We’re extremely proud of the hard work we’ve done, and the state has paid attention and now you’re going to see major renovations that are going to supplant and supplement our $10 [Downtown Revitalization Initiative] grant.”
With Montgomery County Executive Matt Ossenfort and Sheriff Jeff Smith present at the conference, Villa added, “Everything that’s beneficial to the City of Amsterdam certainly benefits the county.”
“This is a huge shot in the arm for Amsterdam’s infrastructure,” said Ossenfort and added that the improvements will be angible ones that residents will experience daily.
Villa pointed out that in addition to the DRI grant, the city was also recently awarded $6.9 million in federal and state funds for construction of two roundabouts and other street modifications in the city, $2 million for sidewalk and crosswalk improvements, and $2.9 million for rebuilding the bridge to Shuttleworth Park on Pioneer Street and to complete repairs to a bridge on Florida Avenue, bringing the total investment in Amsterdam bridges, roads, and sidewalks to $22.4 million.
He characterized the investment as “a substantial amount for any community, let alone a community the size of Amsterdam.”
Recalling the 1987 thruway bridge collapse, Villa stressed the importance of keeping up on bridge maintenance and added, ” “You don’t notice it until something happens.”
Along with the projects being funded through the DRI, Villa said that with all the planned improvements, “you’re going to see a new Amsterdam.”
