Ribbon cut on new Etna Lane bridge

Tompkins County officials and Etna residents convened Oct. 26 to cut the ribbon on the brand-new Etna Lane bridge over Fall Creek in the town of Dryden.

The bridge replacement project, which wrapped up about a week prior to the ribbon-cutting ceremony, involved replacing the existing single-span steel through-girder bridge and the small sidewalks with a new single-span steel girder two-lane bridge (tinyurl.com/24ldonnq). The enhanced structure is supported on concrete integral abutments founded on driven steel H-piles.

The new bridge has two 10-foot traffic lanes and two 6-foot shoulders complementing “ample” walkways for pedestrians, said County Highway Director Jeff Smith in the past.

The bridge officially opened at the end of the day Oct. 27, Smith said, noting that the extra day of closure allowed contractors to “finish final site work, striping crosswalks” and more “without contending with traffic.”

“The Highway Department did a project that will be a lasting improvement for the people in Etna and motoring public at large. It’s something the community will be proud of,” said County Legislator Mike Lane, also the chairperson of the county’s Facilities and Infrastructure Committee.

Smith noted that the project as a whole cost over $2 million. This included $1,934,000 from the state’s BridgeNY program (95%) and $101,800 from local shares (5%).

Smith mentioned that the new bridge was built by Economy Paving, “with quality control” and inspection by Barton & Loguidice Engineers. John Webert, P.E., capped and managed the end of the project.

“It’s always great to see a project reach completion,” Smith added, noting that the project was “on schedule” and “on budget,” with “no surprises or unseen obstacles.”

The original Etna Lane bridge had a lifespan of over 60 years. For the new bridge, Smith anticipates a 50-to-70-year lifespan — and possibly more.

Diane Tessaglia-Hymes, an Etna resident, said the new bridge is a vast improvement.

“It is so much quieter than the old metal-grate one,” she said. “And it is wider, so as a pedestrian, I feel safer crossing it to get my mail from the post office.”

Chris Tessaglia-Hymes, also an Etna resident, praised the bridge’s decking.

“It is solid concrete and it is overall wider than the original bridge,” he said. “The decking on the old bridge was metal grate and, because the narrow pedestrian walkways on either side were raised, the walkways did not get cleared of snow in the winter.”

Chris also noted that many of the nearby residents who walk their dogs were “unable to cross the [old] bridge” after heavy snowfall due to the open metal-grate decking.

“The new concrete decking with wider, same-level shoulders means the entire bridge can be plowed in winter for both cars and pedestrians,” he said.

Lane noted that the new bridge is a “terrific” structure for emergency and highway vehicles “to cross Fall Creek very easily.”

“We’re very proud to have this bridge open again. It’s a very beautiful two-lane bridge,” he added.

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

In brief:

Dryden Town Historical Society’s pie and bread sale

The Dryden Town Historical Society (DTHS) is bringing back its pie and bread sale, which will be held from 9 to 11 a.m. Nov. 5 in the lobby of the First National Bank of Dryden at 7 W. Main St.

DTHS members are encouraged to donate their specialty pie, bread or other baked goods.

For more information or to arrange for a donation to be picked up, contact Shirley Price at (607) 844-8700 or Mary Hornbuckle (607) 898-3461.

Paws to Read event at Southworth Library

The Paws to Read event is returning to Southworth Library at 11 a.m. Nov. 5. The event aims to practice reading to the dogs from Cornell Canine Companions.

Those who participate in the event will receive a free book to bring home. To register, go to the Southworth Library website, southworthlibrary.org.

Jennie’s Book Club scheduled to meet Nov. 15

Jennie’s Book Club is slated to meet at the Southworth Library on 24 W. Main St. in the village of Dryden at 9:30 a.m. Nov. 15.

The book selection for November is “The Red Address Book” by Sofia Lundberg. Books are available to borrow at the library, and all are welcome to join the book club.

Board meetings this month

The Dryden Town Board is scheduled to convene for its abstract and agenda meeting at 6 p.m. Nov. 10 and for its business meeting at 6 p.m. Nov. 17 at the Town Hall on 93 E. Main St. Both meetings have a hybrid option.

The Village of Dryden Board of Trustees is slated to meet at 7 p.m. Nov. 16 on the second floor of Village Hall at 16 South St.