Two projects for Dryden Rail Trail receive completion timelines

Two projects within the Dryden Rail Trail are tentatively slated to be completed this year, according to a town board member.

The first is the construction and installation of a prefabricated steel-truss pedestrian bridge over Route 13 that will connect two sides of the 11-mile trail. Back in May, the town received $700,000 in federal funding from United State Senators Kirsten Gillibrand and Chuck Schumer to complete the project.

The other project is the installation of a crosswalk on Game Farm Road between the Rail Trail and the East Ithaca Recreation Way.

According to Town Deputy Supervisor Dan Lamb, bridge construction could begin in early summer. The crosswalk, Lamb added, is expected to be fully open in March, following Tompkins County’s approval of the town’s plan in December.

The $2.9 million bridge project, which Lamb noted in the past has been discussed “for decades,” could wrap up by the end of this year.

“It was sooner than any of us expected,” Lamb said, noting that the town had been prepared for continual back-and-forth negotiations with state agencies.

Lamb entered last Thursday’s Route 13 pedestrian bridge committee meeting with concern that the bridge project would experience more delays.

The meeting, which consisted of the Rail Trail Task Force members, Erdman Anthony consultants and a half-dozen state Department of Transportation (DOT) employees, gave an update on the bridge project.

“It was a chance to get on the same page of where we are with this project,” Lamb said, noting that the meeting included going over preliminary designs of the bridge.

Much to Lamb’s surprise, the projected timeline for the bridge project included soliciting bids from prospective contractors. The town would then review the bids in April, he added, and select a contractor by late April/early May.

The town is currently in the process of gaining state approval for the bridge project and receiving authorization to advertise the project for bidding. DOT, however, assured town officials that the state will go through the necessary approval process to get the project up for a bid.

Lamb mentioned that the bridge won’t take long to construct “once the parts are procured.” He added that the town will prioritize contractors who can “deliver on the project” sooner rather than later.

“We don’t want to go through another winter without this project, now that we know it can be done,” Lamb said.

An important feature of the bridge, Lamb said, is that it will be Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant. Lamb noted that the challenge will be providing a properly graded ramp.

“The bridge is quite long, so for people who have mobility challenges, you can’t climb up to the height of the bridge crossing. You have to move a lot of earth to create a ramp,” he added, noting that contractors will have to put up retaining walls to “maintain the earth that’s been pushed up.”

The path that starts on Hallwoods Road in the town, one of the sides of the future bridge, has already been cleared due to the Dryden Fiber Project. The town will soon lay down crushed stone dust for a gravel surface on the path.

“People will be able to get on Hallwoods Road and cross all the way to Pinckney [Road] with this project,” Lamb said.

As for the crosswalk plan on Game Farm Road, the town can now put its “mitigations in place” following approval from the county, Lamb said. 

The crossing plan includes striping, signage, lighting and a user-activated signal that includes an amber beacon with a flashing yellow light.

“[The amber beacon light] ensures safety when people are crossing,” Lamb said.

The town was also able to bring the speed limit on the road down from 55 to 45 miles per hour, including a 35-mph sign for drivers to slow down in the area. The county and town also worked together to remove a nonstandard vertical curve in the road, which was near the site of the future crosswalk and caused safety issues.

“The town of Ithaca has been a fantastic partner in this project,” Lamb said. “We’ve received a lot of good cooperation from the county.”

Dryden Dispatch appears every week in Tompkins Weekly. Please send story ideas to editorial@vizellamedia.com.

In brief:

Dryden Town Historical Society announces winter hours

The Dryden Town Historical Society (DTHS) has announced its hours of operation for the winter season.

Between January and March, DTHS will be open the first and third Saturdays of the month from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Starting in April, DTHS will return to opening every Saturday.

For more information about DTHS, contact them at 607-844-9209 or drydennyhistory@gmail.com, or visit drydennyhistory.org.