PRR Elmira Branch bridge in Flint destroyed by truck 6/30/10

Big oops....

http://www.whec.com/news/stories/S1632169.shtml?cat=566

Unfortunately, this throws a big kink into the Ontario Pathways system. I guess it had to come down sooner or later, whether planned or not.

Here's a shot, courtesy of WHEC-TV

Bummer, I just drove under that a few weeks ago.... such a cool bridge with the concrete supports tucked into the forest on either side...
BWP

bwparker1 wrote:Bummer, I just drove under that a few weeks ago.... such a cool bridge with the concrete supports tucked into the forest on either side...

My thoughts exactly, except I haven't driven under it in a few years. I'm hopeful that the bridge can be placed back on its concrete supports.

News reports this morning said the bridge was placed on a truck and hauled away during the night.

Yeah, Unfortunately, there's no money for repair or replacement of such a structure. Another bit of history is trucked away in shambles.

Wouldn't the trucker or more likely his insurance carrier be responsible for repair/replacement of the bridge?

Should be no cost to the trails folks or the municipality or state IMHO!

Maybe, if the bridge could be repaired, but who knows. Those who travel NY-690 just north/west of the I-90 interchange may notice a lump on the south/west side which was an active road overpass until a truck hit one side of it and damaged it. They removed it and abandoned the road leading up to it. And the footbridge closer to Syracuse, again hit by a truck much more recently, hasn't even been removed, for more than a year it sits fenced off with only the portion that was knocked down, gone.

There were two PRR bridges over US Route 20 east of Canandaigua: the Elmira Branch bridge, plus the Canandaigua Branch not far west of it. Which of the two bridges did the truck knock down?

This was the Elmira Branch bridge. The through-girder bridge in Aloquin is still standing. Just goes to show - if you see a piece of railroad history you like, document it. You never know when it will cease to exist.

The DOT is likely jumping for joy that this happened, as it is one less clearance headache on that stretch of highway.

Since the bridge was an abandoned RR bridge, now only serving as a scenic foot bridge. The Ins. company would most likely only cover the cost of removal of the damaged section to allow restoration of highway service, and emergency services costs. The Pathway aganecy may seek a civil suit to cover replacement if they desired. But, that would most likely get bogged down for years in expensive court proceedings. A tempoary footpath bypass down around the gap and back up the other side I think would be the quickest and least costly way to restore the pathway. What a shame.

Living within the Area, there is no possible way to create a detour around the area, unless the Trailways program purchases new land to construct a wooden footbridge over Flint Creek. Additionally, Flint Creek in that area, is too wide to even work around. Only other cure to the situation would be to create a lengthy detour around over a large area to re-connect the trails.

Sean

All that was knocked down was one segment of bridge over the highway, not the whole thing.

Really to make a bridge that could carry foot traffic, bikes and the like, might not be that expensive. It could be as simple as torching off a length of an old flat car -

lvrr325 wrote:It could be as simple as torching off a length of an old flat car -

...or even making some repairs to the section that fell and the supports.

Besides the cost factor which as I mentioned before would most likely get caught up in litigation for a few years. You also have to deal with DOT to obtain permits to rebuild/replace the structure. As the original was a clearance hazard to begin with. That in itself may prove difficult. The actual construction is the easy part. The bureaucracy involved, well let's just say the "b" word says it all.
On a side note, has anyone spoke with the Ontario Pathways people to see what they are thinking?