subscribesubscriber servicescontact usabout ussite mapBuy a Classified
Tue, Nov 10 2009 

Published: February 19, 2008 11:39 pm    print this story  

SAFETY: Crumbling bridge not hazardous, DOT says

By Caitlin Murray/murrayc@gnnewspaper.com
Niagara Gazette

Pieces of debris falling from an expressway overpass caused an automobile accident and blocked traffic for three days, but the bridge does not pose a hazard for drivers, a state Department of Transportation official said.

Concrete chunks larger than bricks fell from the stretch of the LaSalle Expressway passing over Cayuga Drive on Sunday, causing a car to rear-end another car that had stopped to avoid the falling debris, Falls Police Lt. Michael Kachurek said.

Though no one was injured, Niagara Falls police and Department of Public Works officials immediately blocked traffic from the underpass until DOT representatives could assess the damage.

“When I saw the chunks, what I saw drew my attention and I was quite concerned,” said John Caso, deputy DPW director. “The bridge itself, when you really looked up at it, you could see the bridge has some problems up there.”

Traffic was detoured around Cayuga Drive until DOT workers cleared the road Tuesday afternoon.

“We, along with the police, thought it was safer to route them around there until we got a judgment on what should be done there,” said David Kinney, DPW director.

DOT workers arrived on scene Tuesday to assess the damage and removed loose clumps of concrete from the overpass. Afterward, Cayuga Drive was opened for travel.

No further work is needed as the bridge is not unstable and doesn’t pose a threat to motorists driving on or below it, said Charlie Morgante, director of operations for the DOT.

“They went out there and removed anything they had to,” Morgante said. “We don’t believe that there’s any further actions needed to be taken. We will go back out there in the spring or early summer to do any other repair work as needed.”

The crumbling occurred along the guardrail and sidewalk area — not the bridge’s structural deck — and was likely caused by cold weather and temperature changes, Morgante said.

The bridge, built in 1970 and last inspected in mid-2006, was most recently scored as a 5.078 in the state bridge condition rating system, according to DOT bridge data.

Deficient bridges in need of rehabilitation are defined as having a rating of less than 5, but deficient bridges are not considered unsafe, according to rating syllabus. New bridges are rated as 7.

The falling concrete is not a sign that the bridge’s condition is not up to standard and the DOT will continue to monitor the bridge’s condition, Morgante said.

“These bridges are inspected thoroughly every two years,” he said. “We also have our supervisors who drive around every day and will continue to watch that bridge for any further problems.”

print this story  

Photos


CLOSED: Cayuga Drive under the LaSalle Expressway overpass was closed Sunday through Tuesday because of falling chunks of concrete creating a safety hazard for drivers. (Photo by James Neiss) None/ (Click for larger image)


CHIPPED AWAY: Department of Transportation officials said large pieces of concrete fell from the guardrail and sidewalk area of a LaSalle Expressway bridge over Cayuga Drive. (Photo by James Neiss) None/ (Click for larger image)



autoconx
Premier Guide
Find a business

Walking Fingers
Maps, Menus, Store hours, Coupons, and more...
Premier Guide
Premier Guide

Find a job! Find a Home! Find a car!

Featured Jobs

Instructors
Join Our Team!
Would you like to work on a top performing team who is ranked 17th in the nation and have the opport
...>MORE

Driver
Drivers CDLA. Must be able to go to Canada
Good pay, great benefits.
Call 278-2000 Ext. 106
...>MORE

Packers
Packers, General
Production & Assembly
1st, 2nd and 3rd shifts
Sanborn, Tonawanda
& Amherst.
Re
...>MORE

Service greeter
Service greeter wanted, PT entry level. Looking for someone with strong customer service skills to work in our fast grow...>MORE

Nursing
NURSING. RN's. Up to $7500 Sign on Bonus. Thinking of a change? Consider Mount St. Mary's Hospital. Various positions av...>MORE

Customer Service
Customer
Service
Immed. F/T position.
Includes weekends. Must be customer
oriented, computer
...>MORE

Assistant Director
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR
Alumni Relations (ft) sought by the Alumni Relations Department of Niagara University, a private
...>MORE

RN
RN, Director of Quality / Education: to plan, organize, develop and direct all staff development and CQI programs. North...>MORE

Nursing
NURSING. ElderWood Senior Care, "Care Without Compromise". We invite you to stop by and learn how you can become part of...>MORE

Job Fair
HUMAN SERVICES
JOB FAIR
For COMMUNITY MISSIONS

Program Locations/Job Opportunities
working w/c
...>MORE

See all ads

Feature Autos

Ford 1999 Ranger
FORD 1999 Ranger, 5 speed, 130K, fair condition, $2000 or best offer, 716-310-0531...>MORE

1996 Mazda L3000
MAZDA L3000 pick-up 1996, 6 cyl, runs good, new tires & battery, just inspect., $1500. 284-7529....>MORE

Chevy 2003 Impala
CHEVY 2003 Impala
25,600 miles, loaded
Exc. Cond. $10,000/bo
297-2199
...>MORE

1991 Dodge Caravan
DODGE 1991 Caravan, exc body, runs great, full power, needs TLC. $1200 or BO. Call 754-4608....>MORE

Pontiac 1999 Montana
PONTIAC 1999 Montana 57,000 original miles, full options, like new, $3300, 694-0441...>MORE

VW 2001 Beetle
VW 2001 Beetle, loaded, GLX turbo, exc. cond, all service records, fun to drive, blue bk $5600, take best offer, 990-06...>MORE

Dodge 2001 Neon
Dodge 2001 Neon 4 dr, auto, a/c, new tires, c/d no rust, inspected, $3900. white 860-2854...>MORE

Ford Windstar 1998
FORD 1998 Windstar $1000 or best offer.
298-5220
...>MORE

Buick 2005 LeSabre
BUICK 2005 Lesabre Custom, excellent condition, fully loaded, $6700 or best offer, 754-4540...>MORE

2000 Dodge Caravan
DODGE 2000 Caravan, V6, power everything, excellent body, runs great, $2195. Call 754-4608....>MORE

See all ads





 

Community Newspaper Holdings, Inc.CNHI Classified Advertising NetworkCNHI News Service
Associated Press content © 2009. All rights reserved. AP content may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Our site is powered by Zope and our Internet Yellow Pages site is powered by PremierGuide.
Some parts of our site may require you to download the Flash Player Plugin.
View our Privacy Policy
Advertiser index