State Department of Transportation Announces Project to Replace Route 19 Bridge Over Black Creek Overflow in Genesee County

State Department of Transportation Announces Project to Replace Route 19 Bridge Over Black Creek Overflow in Genesee County

New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez today announced that major construction has begun on a $2.5 million project to replace the State Route 19 bridge over the Black Creek Overflow in the Town of Bergen, Genesee County. The project will deliver a new, modern bridge with widened shoulders to better accommodate the area's regional and agribusiness traffic, as well as pedestrians and cyclists.

"New Yorkers expect and deserve infrastructure that enhances their safety, comfort, and travel experiences, and the Department of Transportation under Governor Kathy Hochul is making the investments to deliver these results," Commissioner Dominguez said. "The current State Route 19 bridge has served Bergen and the surrounding towns and villages well since 1927, but it's time for an upgrade. The improvements this project will deliver are designed to ensure convenience, safety, and access for residents, students, visitors, and the community's many commercial and agricultural interests. What began as a crossing carved out of the woods by early settlers will soon be a state-of-the-art structure connecting local communities and driving economic growth."

The project will replace the existing 35-foot-long, two-span, concrete slab bridge with a modern, 50-foot, integral abutment bridge to enhance safety and comfort for motorists. Integral abutment bridges lack the metal expansion joints typically found at the ends of conventional bridges, which can create a "bump" for drivers. The lack of joints, combined with the structure's corrosion-resistant, galvanized-steel girders, is also expected to reduce future closures for unscheduled maintenance.

The new bridge is expected to have a service life of 75 years.

In addition, the existing structure has two eleven-foot travel lanes with five-foot shoulders. The replacement structure will feature wider nine-foot shoulders to better accommodate cyclists and pedestrians. The roadway will also be raised three feet at the bridge, which spans a secondary channel that holds excess water when Black Creek exceeds its capacity.

State Route 19 runs from the shore of Lake Ontario to the Pennsylvania state line, largely as a two-lane rural road. Near the Town of Bergen, it connects motorists to Interstate 490 and State Route 5, SUNY Brockport, multiple Rochester suburbs, several historic villages and hamlets, and a wildlife refuge. Route 19 crosses Black Creek, a 46-mile tributary of the Genesee River, near where 60 families originally settled the Town of Bergen in the early 1800s and carved out wagon roads and water crossings.

Beginning June 1, State Route 19 will be closed to all traffic over the Black Creek Overflow, located 2.2 miles north of the State Route 33 Intersection. Motorists are advised to follow the posted detour using State Route 33, State Route 36 and State Route 31. A separate bicycle detour will also be posted using Parkview Drive, North Main Street and Peachey/Kendall Road. The closure is expected to remain in place until the end of September.

Motorists are urged to plan ahead and, if possible, seek alternate routes during construction.

About the Department of Transportation
It is the mission of the New York State Department of Transportation to provide a safe, reliable, equitable, and resilient transportation system that connects communities, enhances quality of life, protects the environment, and supports the economic well-being of New York State.

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