Binghamton I-81 Bridge Repair Work Takes Longer Than Expected
A complicated project designed to stabilize a sinking Interstate 81 bridge in Binghamton has yet to be completed.
The $ 3.5 million repair work has been going on for months. Chenango Street has been closed to traffic since September. Traffic on I-81 is not affected by the project.
The state Department of Transportation expected the street to reopen in December, but that did not happen. Pedestrians and cyclists can use the street while construction continues.
An agency spokesperson was unable to provide an updated target date for project completion. He said there are currently no plans to stop work during the winter and restart in the spring.
The DOT installed special surveillance equipment below the bridge after it became evident that there was a persistent problem of “unusual settling” of the structure.
The bridge was built in 2013 as part of the massive Prospect Mountain project to redesign the Interstate 81 / Route 17 interchange.
DOT said the current work was being done “out of prudence to preserve the structure’s 75-year life.”
The Crown has considered options to recover the costs associated with the ailing bridge repair effort.
Contact WNBF News reporter Bob Joseph: [email protected].
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