Ridge Road Bridge repair funding comes in

The town of Woodbury received approximately $2.9 million in funding through the Bridge New York program that will go toward the full replacement of the Ridge Road Bridge. The amount was shared by town engineer Jason Pitingaro during his presentation to the Woodbury Town Board on February 15.

Pitingaro reported that the sub structure of the bridge has been completed and work on the main portion of the bridge has begun. He added that he is making sure all engineering and environmental reports are conducted in compliance with state and federal regulations.

“Our goal is to keep everybody informed, that’s why we’re here,” said Pitingaro.

Responding to concerns regarding the impact of heavy trucks on the new bridge, Pitingaro explained that he doesn’t foresee an increase in heavy truck traffic in the area, and that the bridge is designed to take traffic patterns into account.

Pitingaro also noted that the lifespan of the new bridge is expected to be between 30 to 35 years, but likely to last longer. He clarified that while the bridge’s structural lifespan could be up to 35 years or more, regular maintenance is required like any other roadway.

Emphasizing the dire need for the bridge replacement, Supervisor Kathryn Luciani commented, “It’s scary to think about how many years we’ve all been driving under this old bridge. You can see the cracks you can see the stones that came out.”

In addition to receiving an update on the Ridge Road Bridge, the Woodbury Town Board approved budget modifications for the 2023 and 2024 fiscal years. These included approving certain funds to be carried over from 2023 into 2024 as well as funding requests for 2024.

Members of the board expressed concern over the Beautification Committee’s request to increase funding for grounds and landscaping by $12,000. Councilman Brandon Calore questioned why the committee could not get the funding needed from the $54,000 that was already allocated to them.

Councilman Calore later clarified that the town board held a work session to get a better understanding of certain budget requests, including that of the Beautification Committee. He noted that no figures were presented to justify the requested amount.

Beautification Chair Maria Hunter addressed these concerns at the town board meeting, noting that the reason they didn’t have estimates is because they hadn’t sought them out yet. “Once we figure out what we need to do, we will get the estimates to you.”

Town of Woodbury Parks and Recreation Director, Joseph Gianzero, echoed Hunter’s sentiments and asked that the board have faith that the town’s departments and committees are going to do the right thing.

While concerns over the budget changes remained, the town board approved the additional $12,000 requested by the Beautification Committee. Supervisor Luciano noted that the board will continue to work to improve oversight and communication with the committee.

“We will keep a watch out on the projects. If there is anything left over at the end of the year, we can deal with that. We’re a new board with a lot of projects in front of us.”

In addition to the funding for the Beautification Committee, the Woodbury Town Board approved an approximately $4,613 increase in funding for K9 training and maintenance; a $2,000 increase for animal shelter repairs, operations, and maintenance; and an $8,000 increase toward the library’s legal budget.