By Katie Bisaro
Bank St., which connects Main St. and South St. in the heart of the Village of Warwick, has been closed to vehicular traffic in order to allow pedestrians to use the roadway as the bridge sidewalks have been deemed unsafe. The Bank St. bridge is owned and maintained by Orange County and the County Department of Public Works (DPW).
The New York State Department of Transportation had “red flagged” the bridge, identifying “severe corrosion and perforations of the steel beams supporting both sidewalks.” In a letter from the County DPW, Village officials were assured that “the structure of Bank Street bridge supporting the roadway remains in a safe condition.”
With the bridge sidewalks blocked off, pedestrians were forced to walk in the roadway at that point to cross the bridge. This created a dangerous situation with cars turning onto Bank St. from Main St. and possibly not seeing the pedestrians. As a result, the roadway has been blocked from vehicular traffic from Main St. until just over the bridge.
The bridge replacement is tentatively scheduled for construction in 2021 and, according to the County, despite scheduling setbacks due to COVID-19, the intention is to maintain that schedule. Mayor Michael Newhard confirmed that the plan is to replace the bridge next fall.
Bank St., located in the heart of the Village of Warwick, has been closed as the bridge sidewalks have been deemed unsafe. In order to allow continued pedestrian access between Main St. & South St., the road & bridge have been closed to vehicular traffic.
