State transportation department officials have given the green light for vehicular traffic to resume using Chenango Street on Binghamton’s North Side.
A detour has been in place for greater than 14 months as a contractor worked on a project designed to maintain a latest Interstate 81 bridge from sinking any further.
A crew from the state of Maine was heading to the positioning Tuesday afternoon to use latest striping to the road surface before it reopens. The road must be back in operation Wednesday.
One piece of apparatus remained under the Interstate 81 on November 22, 2022. Photo: Bob Joseph/WNBF News
Two-way traffic shall be permitted under what’s called the Chenango Arch until Monday. Then temporary signals are expected for use on each side of the bridge to permit single lane operation in alternating directions.
Sandblasting is planned for next week. Some additional work also could also be performed before operations are halted for the season.
Construction crews are to return to Chenango Street within the spring to finish the repair project.
Cranes lowered concrete sections into place for an I-81 bridge over Chenango Street in 2013. (Photo: NYSDOT)
The bridge was constructed using precast concrete sections in 2013. Problems with the span were observed shortly after it was built.
The state Department of Transportation began closely monitoring the abnormal sinking of the bridge.
State DOT staff on Chenango Street on August 5, 2021. (Photo: Bob Joseph/WNBF News)
Officials initially expected the repair work can be accomplished in about three months. They said the primary phase of the project cost about $3.5 million.
The unique effort to handle the issue was unsuccessful, so additional concrete pours were ordered. The DOT has not released a final cost estimate for the job.
Repair work beneath I-81 on Binghamton’s North Side on January 4, 2022. (Photo: Bob Joseph/WNBF News)
Contact WNBF News reporter Bob Joseph: bob@wnbf.com or (607) 545-2250. For breaking news and updates on developing stories, follow @BinghamtonNow on Twitter.
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