Periodically, this post pops up on the Hudson Area Community Board Facebook page.
The Ferry Street Bridge is a bridge over the railroad tracks, so there are a lot of agencies involved in its replacement, most notably Amtrak and the NYS Department of Transportation. The process of replacing the bridge has been going on since 2016, when Mayor Tiffany Martin announced that funds had been secured to rebuild the bridge.
Here's where things stand now, according to Rob Perry, superintendent of the Department of Public Works. The issue holding things up at this point is an impasse between National Grid and Amtrak. In order to build the new bridge, a new utility pole has to be installed on Amtrak property, and a new gas main needs to be installed. Both require utility easements. The NYS Department of Transportation will not allow the City of Hudson to put the project out for bid until all utility agreements are signed. As Perry described the situation in his report to the Common Council last Monday, "That's the predicament we are in right now. Stuck between utilities and the railroads."
As an aside, this is the Facebook profile picture of the person whose post on Facebook inspired this update.
That is a coincidence. We are still stuck here, in many ways, in Hong Kong but usually spend half the year in Hudson (I am from Hudson). One of our friends asked on a nice walk yesterday.....have they replaced the bridge near the railway yet? He has seen the broken bridge every time he comes to see us in Hudson, and just laughs as we drive by. (He is not American.) Meanwhile, while we were put under Zero Tolerance for Covid here for 3 summers, the government "across the harbor" has built three new museums here, all massive. Four new shopping centers. A 3,00 room hotel. A port of entry for the cross country high speed rail they just finished. Also massive. 17 new apartment complexes that house about 3,000 apartments each. 12 new skyscrapers. Finished the longest road over ocean water from here to Macau. Built a new port for cruise ships and for fun have inventoried every single tree here and monitor their health from a single location--electronically. I am not into this kind of central planning as it scares me, and would rather have GOOD people trying hard to do things in a difficult system. I also am aware of the moral equivalence issues which have driven so many people out of here. BUT, that being said.....if we can spend trillions on elections why can't we fix a teeny bridge that everyone stares at as they get off the train in gorgeous and free Hudson? I'll root for Rob Perry and the gang in Hudson any day rather than the, ahem, "gang" here....but some things just should not be political.....like the smallest bridge in history. Keep us posted here. We are bridge waiters and watchers. Go Hudson! Ken Sheffer
ReplyDeleteA road over water to Macau. Wow - I remember the beautiful ferry ride to Macau many moons ago.
DeleteA qualified project manager would have seen this issue coming and dealt with it LONG AGO so that it doesn't delay the project, especially someone who is supposed to be familiar with all things infrastructure. Much like the cones on the sidewalk in front of City Hall covering the missing concrete surrounding a National Grid gas valve that Rob Perry has not dealt with for at least two years, he is either too busy filling the garbage bag vending machine to deal with the bridge or just not a good communicator with involved parties. Or both.
ReplyDeleteThe "Woe is me, THEY are delaying the new bridge" talk from Mr. Perry is getting a bit tiresome, much like the sight of the old, ugly and off-limits bridge itself. We all deserve better, especially from someone making as much money as Mr. Perry does.
B Huston
" a bridge too far" ...
ReplyDeleteThe ferry to Macau and the longest ocean bridge in human history are still closed to us mortals due to COVID...but taking that ferry is spectacular. You are right. You can just watch the history of the region float by you. Glad you did it. Here is to normal life returning.
ReplyDelete