Plans for Freese Road Bridge still in the works

Plans revolving around the Freese Road Bridge in the hamlet of Varna are still in the works, said Dryden Deputy Town Supervisor Dan Lamb.

The bridge has been closed since Dec. 10 of last year due to structural issues and weight-limit concerns. Between 2019 and 2021, the bridge’s weight limit was lowered from 15 to 3 tons.

The bridge was built in 1882 by the Groton Bridge Co. It is one of the last two-span, pin-connected Pratt pony truss bridges left in America, according to Lamb last year (see tinyurl.com/27yrwqyx).

Lamb noted the town has been going back and forth with the New York State Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Federal Highway Administration about what the town plans to do with the bridge. The plan, according to Lamb, is to replace the old bridge with a single-lane, multigirder steel bridge.

“We’ve been clear about that. This will be a new bridge and will not incorporate the former features of the bridge,” he said, adding that keeping those features would “create a maintenance challenge” for the town.

The town’s plans for the old bridge remain to be seen. The town was in the midst of negotiations with the Village of Groton to preserve the bridge as an “outdoor attraction” in Groton. The Village of Groton, according to Lamb, abruptly lost interest.

This put the town in limbo about what to do with the old bridge. Lamb noted that there is one potential lead: giving the bridge to a company in Indiana.

CLR Construction, of Indiana, takes “historic truss-style bridges” and “refurbishes and places them in resorts [as attractions],” Lamb said.

This potential plan for the old bridge could “satisfy the federal highway [department],” Lamb said.

“The company usually enters [a memorandum of understanding] with the federal government [for their bridge projects],” he added.

The old bridge being closed has garnered “inconveniences,” due to that part of the roadway “not being open,” Lamb said. Lamb mentioned that the bridge replacement process could begin as soon as the DOT approves the town’s new plan.

“They’re waiting on any feedback the town gets from the community,” he added, noting the residents of Varna “share our frustration” with how long the process has taken. “[The residents] want to see something done right by the bridge and respect its historic nature.”

Lamb is looking for the town, DOT and federal highway department to all be on the same page.

“There’s a new urgency here,” he added. “The agencies really need to work with us and not throw up a lot of red tape about this structure. We want to do the right thing, but first and foremost this is part of our road network. We need to be able to provide emergency services across that creek, and we need to be able to get other vehicles across [a bridge].”

If the DOT approves the plan before the town locks in a plan to move the old bridge elsewhere, Lamb said the old bridge could be stored in town property.

“That is, until we find the right place to put it,” he added. “We got the money and the need, so we want this to move forward as soon as possible. We want to get approval for this project and be offered time to figure out what to do with the old bridge.”

Dryden Dispatch appears every Wednesday in Tompkins Weekly. Send story ideas to editorial@VizellaMedia.com.

In brief:

Dryden Recreation announces two summer music series

The Town of Dryden Recreation Department recently announced two summer music series in the area.

Music in the Hollow, which takes place at Ellis Hollow, goes until Aug. 30. The series runs every Tuesday at 6 p.m., showcasing different musical acts as follows:

– Joe Crookston, July 12
– Kitestring, July 19
– The Small Kings, July 26
– Janet Batch, Aug. 2
– The Notorious Stringbusters, Aug. 9
– Rachel Beverly, Aug. 16
– The Smokin’ Loons, Aug. 23
– Terrapin Station, Aug. 30

The second series, Music on the Hill, will take place at Dryden Veterans Memorial Home. Each show in this series will start at 6 p.m. on the following dates:

– Ghost Train, July 13
– Diamond Rays, July 20
– The Tarps, July 27
– Matthews Family Tradition, Aug. 3
– Tink Bennett & Derek Gasque Duo, Aug. 10
– Six String Shot Gun, Aug. 17

All of the shows for each series are free. For more information or questions, contact the Dryden Recreation Department at (607) 844-8888 (ext. 4) or recassist@dryden.ny.us or go to drydenrec.recdesk.com.

Freeville Community Council to hold summer social on Aug. 21

The Freeville Community Council (FCC) will hold a summer social between noon and 2 p.m. Aug. 21.

FCC will gather at the Freeville Farmers Market for peaches, ice cream and puppetry. FCC will serve ice cream sundaes while LillySilly performs a puppet show for all ages.