Metro North To Perform Repairs In Mt. Vernon
Earlier this week, MTA Metro-North Railroad announced it would be performing priority repairs on the 117 year old Sixth Avenue Bridge in Mount Vernon. Here are the complete details via the press release I received:
MTA Metro-North Railroad, working with the City of Mt. Vernon, will close the Sixth Avenue Bridge beginning Monday July 18, 2011 through the week of August 24 so that the railroad can make repairs to the 117-year-old bridge.
The almost 62-foot-long bridge was built in 1894 and has a load limit of three tons. It carries Sixth Avenue/Wilson Place over the New Haven Line railroad tracks. Metro-North ironworkers will repair the steel floor beam that supports the bridge’s wooden stringers and deck. While the bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic, pedestrian access on sidewalks will remain open.
“We have developed an aggressive schedule to make these important repairs to the bridge and to reopen it as soon as possible,” said Metro-North President Howard Permut. “Metro-North will continue to work with the City to develop an overall approach to address access needs over the railroad. At the same time, we seek the support of our State and Federal partners to meet the funding needs of our Capital Program.”
“My administration has been working in tandem with Metro-North and other partners in government as part of an overall infrastructure improvement strategy for our city,” noted Mayor Young. “The bridges in the city are primarily owned by Metro-North and are in dire need of attention. I commend Metro-North for stepping up to the plate to address these issues. The Sixth Avenue Bridge is a major north-south connection to our hospital, downtown and City Hall and closing it for six weeks will be a hardship; however, these safety upgrades must be completed expeditiously.”
The mayor also thanked the railroad for the $10.5 million, 18-month replacement of the Park Avenue Bridge completed in April, calling it “a major step forward in improving our infrastructure and transportation efficiency.”
“We will continue our efforts in partnering with Metro-North to rehabilitate the other bridges in the city,” stated Mayor Young. There are 11Metro-North-controlled bridges in the city that cross the tracks, including the station overpass that was replaced in 2000.
Notification of the bridge closure will be done through signage on the bridge, the City’s website and email alert system.
xoxo Transit Blogger
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