Prospects are good: Senator Murphy announces MTA's $9.5 million investment in rebuilding Prospect Hill Road Bridge

SOUTHEAST, NY - Drivers bemoaning the congested traffic along Route 6 will soon have a reason to rejoice - Senator Terrence Murphy has announced that Metro North Railroad (MTA) is making a $9.5 million investment to rebuild the Prospect Hill Road Bridge in Southeast.

The bridge, which is presently closed to vehicular and pedestrian traffic, has been deemed beyond repair. Built in 1910, the 270-foot-long span is located south of the Southeast station. When in service, it carried traffic along Prospect Hill Road over the Harlem Line tracks and parts of Metro-North's Brewster Yard.

"The replacement of the 107-year-old Prospect Road Bridge has been a long time coming," Senator Terrence Murphy said. "The MTA and the local community are to be commended for working together to solve the difficult issue of financing the project. Replacing the bridge will improve the flow of traffic along Route 6, which will enhance the quality of life for local residents."

"The news about the reopening of the Prospect Road Bridge is very exciting for the people of Southeast and Putnam County," said Putnam County Executive MaryEllen Odell. "I would like to thank the MTA leadership for their partnership and their hard work in making this project a reality."

Assemblyman Kevin Byrne added, "The rebuilding of the Prospect Hill Road Bridge is much welcomed news. It is critical that New York keeps its infrastructure strong and running. This project will be an asset for the residents of Southeast and Putnam County."

"The condition of the Prospect Road Bridge has been long taken for granted for many years. Its absence has proven how important it is to the vitality of our community," said Tony Hay, Supervisor for the Town of Southeast. "Replacing the decades-old 'rickety bridge' with a state-of-the-art bridge will restore a valuable piece of infrastructure within our community. We look forward to its construction and reopening."

Metro-North Railroad President Joseph Giulietti commented, "Metro-North has been working diligently with the Town of Southeast to rebuild the Prospect Hill Bridge. The bridge has been a key component of the town's infrastructure for over a century, and funds from the MTA's Capital Program will help maintain it well into the future. We're pleased that a new Prospect Hill Bridge will soon be a reality for Putnam residents."

The investment is made possible by the MTA's 2015-2019 Capital Program. Funds for the program were secured by Governor Andrew Cuomo, who called for the investment of $29.4 billion for the renewal, enhancement or expansion of the region's transportation infrastructure. It is the largest capital program in the MTA's history.

The MTA Board approved a contract to the firm Halmar International for the design and construction of the replacement bridge. The first element of the reconstruction will involve the demolition and removal of the bridge, piers, abutments and roadway approaches, as well as clearing trees, shrubs, stumps and rubbish from the future right-of-way. Utility poles will be excavated, removed and re-installed for structural work; crews will then construct new utilities, including communications, signals, and power. Other improvements include new abutments, piers, bridge substructure and superstructure, roadway approaches, sidewalk, striping, signage, guide rails, fencing, retaining walls, grading and drainage. Metro-North estimates the project will take approximately twenty months to complete.

At the direction of Governor Cuomo, Metro-North issued a design-build contract to expedite the project. Design-build contracts call for a single team of contractors to be responsible for both designing and building an entire project. This ensures that coordination is seamless and work is completed in the shortest possible time frame.