High Falls Road Ext. Bridge reopens

Author: Melanie Lekocevic
Date: November 22, 2008

CATSKILL — After being closed for construction for the past six months, the High Falls Road Extension Bridge has reopened to traffic. And how often do you hear this when it comes to a municipal project — it came in on time, and under budget.

What’s more, county taxpayers only had to foot five percent of the total cost of the bridge.

“We started this project in November of 2005, and we designated Barton and Loguidice for the design. Creighton Manning were the engineers for the construction, supervision and inspection,” said Greene County Highway Superintendent Gary Harvey.

“In June of this year we awarded the contract to Arch Bridge Contracting for $847,601,” he continued. “Work started in June, and five months later we are having the ribbon cutting.”

The county budgeted $1.2 million for the project, with 95 percent of the funds provided by the state and federal government. As an HBR&R project — Highway Bridge Rehab and Rehabilitation — the federal government pays 80 percent of the cost, the state contributes 15 percent, and the remaining five percent is paid by the county.

The $1.2 million project cost Greene County taxpayers only $59,787. The bridge was slated for construction because it was prone to flooding, particularly during the spring thaw and high water events. In addition, there was a wooden deck, which was deteriorating.

Prior to construction, the bridge had a pier that was hanging down, and debris like logs and branches would get caught in it, essentially created a dam that would cause flooding when the water in the creek below was high.

“The contractors did an outstanding job with this bridge — on schedule and under budget,” said Greene County Legislator Forest Cotten of Catskill. These are the kind of contractors you want to return. They were the lowest bidder, and did an excellent job.”

While the bridge is on a town road, it is county-owned and maintained, so the construction project was handled by Greene County. And, it came in under budget, largely because no major changes were needed after the project’s initial design.

“Usually, when jobs are designed properly, there is no need for change orders, but $40,000 is set aside in case changes are needed,” said Hassan Hamedani, owner of Arch Bridge. “For this project, we didn’t have to use the $40,000, so that was a savings. In addition, the contract quantity was under-run, which means we used less materials and less labor.”

In fact, the one change that was made during construction — to the east abutment of the bridge — actually resulted in a savings.

Now, the project is completed and the bridge is open to traffic, and with winter fast approaching, the timing couldn’t be better. According to local officials, the newly designed bridge will be easier to maintain during winter storms than its predecessor.

“This is a lot better for the residents who use the bridge, and it will be easier for us to plow and maintain it,” said Catskill Highway Superintendent Alfie Beers.