Dryden looking to preserve Freese Road bridge

The town of Dryden is looking to preserve the current Freese Road Bridge in the hamlet of Varna, and the town and village of Groton could potentially put it on display in their areas.

Dryden and Groton are in the midst of a negotiation where the bridge would be sold for $1, said Dryden Town Deputy Supervisor Dan Lamb.

It was built in 1882 by the Groton Bridge Co. and is one of two two-span, pin-connected Pratt pony truss bridges left in America. It would be considered “an outdoor attraction” for Groton, Lamb said.

“Groton Bridge Co. was a key economic driver in the building of this bridge,” he said. “We’re looking to keep the bridge in the general area. It would keep the bridge intact and allow people to learn its history.”

The Dryden Rail Trail Task Force was interested in using the bridge for the trail system, but Lamb said it would cost $100,000 in renovations “to make it passable.” Lamb said the town of Dryden is looking to replace the bridge because the current one is deteriorating.

According to the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), the current bridge went from allowing nine tons a year ago to only three tons now.

“The bridge needs to be replaced this year. We want to move forward as quickly as possible,” said Lamb, who added the bridge is rusting and the weight the concrete can hold is declining.

To keep the current bridge intact, it would cost over $3 million for complete rehabilitation, Lamb said. He added the quote for renovation exceeded the grant they are planning to use for a new single-lane truss-style bridge that has a price tag somewhere between $2.2 million and $2.5 million.

The FHWA said making the current bridge safe would alter the structure of the pinpointed area.

“[The bridge] is a marvel to look at, but it won’t be able to hold anything if you don’t put a new one in,” Lamb said. “We want to make it safe for vehicles to go over it again.”

New York state originally wanted to leave the bridge in place and fence it off and build a new bridge beside it, Lamb said.

“The residents don’t want a bridge preserved for the sake of preserving that’s not in use,” he said, adding the alternative of putting the old one on display and installing something new could be appealing to the FHWA and the State Historic Preservation Office.

A new two-lane concrete bridge was considered, but Lamb said a single-lane truss-style one “is the way to go.”

The town of Dryden and the state came into agreement that the new bridge needs to include traffic signaling, which hasn’t been part of the old one. Lamb added that the new bridge would not have a weight limit.

Designs for the new bridge include a safe pedestrian walkway and a lookout nook with a bench “for the community to enjoy the outlook of Fall Creek,” Lamb said.

Lamb added the town may need to have a public hearing in regard to the new bridge, but he also said “there’s been plenty of community support so far.”

“It’s an important aspect of Varna,” he said. “We want something to go in there that maintains the traffic flow they’ve mainly seen there.”

In Brief:

Meetings scheduled for the month of March

The Dryden Town Board has scheduled its meetings for this month. The next abstract and agenda meeting is scheduled for March 11 at 6 p.m., and the regular town meeting is slated for March 18 at 6 p.m.

For the village of Dryden, the next Board of Trustees meeting is scheduled for March 17 at 7 p.m. on the second floor of Dryden Village Hall.

Paperwork needed for DCSD student-athletes

The Dryden Central School District is reminding student-athletes to submit their health history and extracurricular code of conduct before competition begins for the 2021 “fall” spring sports season.

Practice for fall sports started March 1. The 2020 fall season was postponed and moved to the spring by the Interscholastic Athletic Conference due to health and safety concerns for student-athletes and coaches during the coronavirus pandemic.

The 2021 “fall” spring sports season includes all fall sports at the modified, junior varsity and varsity levels for the Purple Lions, plus the modified boys basketball and volleyball programs from the winter season.

Village of Freeville to hold a walk and talk event

The Village of Freeville Community Council will be holding the first of three walk and talk Rail Trail events March 27 at 9:30 a.m. The walk will begin at the kiosk near the village hall. Participants of this event are required to follow the state’s COVID-19 guidelines by wearing a mask and practicing social distancing.