PORT JERVIS – Work has begun in earnest to construction a new bridge over the Neversink River in the City of Port Jervis with the demolition of the existing 1922-vintage structure dropped into the water below on Monday.
Once it was disconnected from its moorings, a large piece of construction equipment pulled one end and the Tri-State Bridge crashed down with a splash.
Mayor Kelly Decker said the project is ahead of schedule.
“Our contract goes out to August of 2020, but they, for all intents and purposes believe the new bridge will be in place … by November of this year,” he said.
The new structure will take basically the same footprint as the old bridge, but on a slightly different angle and a modern design.
During construction temporary traffic and utility bridges have been erected on either side of the old structure.
Most of the cost of the project is being borne by the federal and state governments.
The project is causing some significant congestion on East Main Street on weekdays.
