Metro-North targets three bridges for replacement

Three priority bridges that carry vehicular traffic over MTA Metro-North Railroad's New Haven Line in downtown Mount Vernon, N.Y., will be replaced, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced on Monday.

The estimated $10 million project calls for replacing bridges on Tenth, Sixth and North 14th avenues. The bulk of the project ($7 million) will be funded by Metropolitan Transportation Authority's (MTA) capital program, but city and New York government officials are working to secure the remaining funding through state and federal sources.

"Our administration has made it a top priority to rebuild our infrastructure, and by replacing these century-old bridges, we are taking an important step toward preserving and improving a vital part of our transportation system and providing peace of mind to the motorists who depend on it,"  Cuomo said in a press release.

Once funding is secured, Metro-North will solicit contractors to perform design and construction work. After completing designs and finalizing cost estimates, the parties will determine whether two or three bridges will be replaced based on available funding. Replacement of the Tenth Avenue and Sixth Avenue bridges would begin first. The 106-foot-long Tenth Avenue Bridge, which was built in 1898, is currently closed to traffic.

Built in 1894, the Sixth Avenue Bridge has a span of 65 feet and carries one lane of traffic in each direction. It was closed for two months in summer 2011 while Metro-North repaired it at a cost of $213,000. Also built in 1894, the North 14th Avenue Bridge spans 94 feet in length and also carries one lane of traffic in each direction. It was closed for two months in summer 2012 while Metro-North repaired it at a cost of $350,000.

In Mount Vernon, the four Metro-North tracks are below street level in a "cut" that is spanned by 11 closely spaced bridges. Under agreements inherited from predecessor railroads, the bridges are the responsibility of Metro-North to maintain, with the city also sharing responsibility for certain bridges. The bridges include the station pedestrian overpass, which was replaced in 2000, and the Park Avenue Bridge, which Metro-North rebuilt three years ago at a cost of $10.5 million, MTA officials said.