Christmas in July

The Town of Woodbury is the recipient of a nearly $3 million grant that will pay for the construction of a new bridge and culvert on Ridge Road, both of which have been in a state of disrepair for years.

The funds, awarded through the “Bridge NY” program, mean the town won’t be forced to solve a key infrastructure problem through the bond process.

“This is tremendous news for the town,” said Woodbury Supervisor Thomas Burke. “This grant saves taxpayers money and allows us to begin solving a problem that has lingered for quite some time. This is an integral artery for the residents because it connects parts of Woodbury north and south of Route 105.”

With the $2,927,000 million in hand, the town must first put the project out for bid. Burke said that he expects the bid process to take a couple of months followed by a construction process of approximately four months.

During construction, he said, there will be some level of inconvenience.

“There are alternative roadways that are available and it is our priority to keep this project moving forward and on schedule,” he said. “There are many factors that play into the decision-making process that impact our residents, police and fire departments and ambulance volunteers. When an alternate route is selected, all of this will have been considered.”

An abutment failure

An abutment failure caused the bridge, built in 1932, to be closed for nine months last year before a temporary bridge was rented and installed over the existing bridge, the cost of which was split evenly between the Town of Woodbury and the Village of Woodbury.

Though a longstanding intermunicipal agreement states that bridges fall under the town’s purview and roads under the village’s, the effort to secure funding began back in January with personnel from both the Town of Woodbury and the Village of Woodbury working collaboratively on the grant application, which was ultimately submitted by the town.

Once the application was submitted, U.S. Rep. Pat Ryan entered the process as the Bridge NY program is funded with federal dollars.

“I’m proud to deliver this crucial funding to rebuild and modernize bridges across the Town of Woodbury,” Ryan said in a statement. “I will fight every day to improve our region’s infrastructure.”

The culvert portion of the project is expected to improve the health of Woodbury Creek by reducing erosion and permanently armoring the streambanks to minimize further disturbance to the creek.

The new culvert, according to Burke, should also sustain the natural flow of the stream, which will, among other things, allow for the movement of aquatic life through the culvert opening.

In addition to the Ridge Road project, Orange County received $1.5 million from the federal government for a culvert replacement project on Dunderberg Road, which carries the tributary to Woodbury Creek.

For local officials, July’s infrastructure news is just about as good as it gets.

“When I heard the Ridge Road grant was successful, it felt like Christmas morning,” said Village of Woodbury Mayor Andrew Giacomazza. “We were getting a little nervous because that route is vital due to two nearby housing developments and the access it provides for emergency vehicles.”