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Champlain Bridge Demolition Set For Wednesday December 23rd 2009 Shoreham Ferry Closed Indefinitely Due To Ice... Bus Schedules

photo by Mike Cameron

Tuesday December 22, 2009

By Mike Cameron

    For over 65 days hundreds of people have had their lives thrown into chaos by the closing of the Lake Champlain Bridge between Crown Point New York and Addison Vermont.  Thousands more have been indirectly affected in one way or another. Those that are directly affected by the closure feel that the words chaos and abandonment  are too moderate to describe their current feeling of isolation.    Construction for a ferry service to help them is well underway.  

    Meanwhile an Idaho explosives company was hired by the general contractor for the ferry project as of our last issue.  They will demolish the “Broken Old Bridge.”  “Broken Old Bridge” is the euphemism recently coined by members of the Lake Champlain Bridge Coalition.  The CBC a group of business leaders and residents who rely on the bridge knows what lies ahead for the 80-year old span.  It will become a thing of the past on Wednesday morning December 23rd 2009 at approximately 10 a.m. e.s.t. in a three second puff of smoke.  

    A half dozen new bridge concepts have been presented and public meetings have been held to discuss their merits and short-falls.  A tentative decision on a style was chosen by mid-week, last week, and is a modern version of the current modified network tied arch bridge design.  It is also the most costly of the half dozen designs being offered.  Provisions are also being discussed for a bike lane and a pedestrian walkway over the new span but some have argued that those “extras” would be more suited to one of the other designs presented during public hearings two week ago.  

    The job at hand is to restore this vital transportation corridor with a short term ferry service that will run a stones throw south of the bridge site and therefore allow commuters and others to utilize this important part of their daily lives once again.  For the people who depend on the bridge every day, it won't be soon enough.  But first the “Broken Old Bridge” as the CBC calls it will have to be removed with explosives and the cutting torch.  Recycling the steel after demolition has also been discussed. The projects  prime contractor Harrison & Burrowes Bridge Constructors has hired  expert subcontractor Advanced Explosives Demolition for the demolition work.  Kubricky Construction has been chosen by the Vermont Agency of Transportation to do the Vermont land work for the Ferry.

    The Champlain Bridge Coalition in one of their latest blogs, thanked the folks at Basin Harbor for running a  Pedestrian Ferry to Westport for as long as they could, given the recent cold snap.  Some concern has also been mentioned about foot passengers braving the cold single digit over night and early morning temperatures as they commute on the existing ferry service in Shoreham and Charlotte.  

    On the Essex/Charlotte Ferry there is a warm enclosed cabin to ride in on the way across.  On the Shoreham to Ticonderoga  cable crossing there is no place for foot passengers to warm up and inviting a foot passenger “into a warm car would be a nice early Christmas present,” the CBC suggests.  

    Another important point put forth by the Coalition is the fact that the deteriorating weather puts commuters at further risk especially those who have to drive around the lake to get from one side to another to meet their every day commitments and obligations. Sleet and freezing rain has already visited our area with tragic results this winter.  The sooner the new ferry service is in place at the bridge site, the better and safer it will be for everyone is their collective opinion. “This nightmare refuses to end,” is a constant CBC stress point.  

    It has been a long and expensive wait for many.  On Thursday December 17th the Shoreham Ferry experienced ice prohibiting navigation and had to shut down.  It has since “closed indefinitely” according to the NYSDOT.  A system of bus services is available to move people between the states and back and forth to the Essex Charlotte Ferry.  A reliable stream of information can be found at www.lcbclosure.org or by calling toll free at 1-888-769-7243.    

   Construction and demolition crews were hard at work on Wednesday December 17th 2009 near and on the bridge.  All the light poles had been removed and on both the New York and Vermont shorelines the dock areas for the ferry were being worked on vigorously.  Both ferry access areas near the bridge site have been paved from the main roads on both sides of the lake to the waterline.  Remember Wednesday December 23rd 2009 at 10 a.m. is “D” day for “the Broken Old bridge.” 

   Bitter cold temperatures have increased the ice sheet near the bridge.  For safety sake and common sense  public safety officials in both states are urging people not to go on the ice for any reason.  It is dangerous and unpredictable. 

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