Casting cares from Waterport bridge

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 20 April 2014 at 12:00 am

Photos by Tom Rivers

WATERPORT – Damien Darrell of Lockport was out fishing Saturday evening from the bridge on Route 279 in Waterport.

Fishermen are often casting lines from the bridge. The 700-foot-long bridge is the longest county-owned span in Orleans. It is expected to close next month so repairs can be made. The bridge could be closed for about five months so contractors can complete nearly $2 million in upgrades.

The bridge stretches across Lake Alice. Many of the concrete box beams that support the bridge are badly deteriorated and will need to be replaced. The bridge will get a new surface with concrete, rubber membrane and blacktop.

The federal government is paying 80 percent of the project with the state paying 15 percent the county covering the remaining 5 percent.

Here is a photo looking under the bridge.