Town officials look to reopen Upper Bridge in Keeseville

KEESEVILLE | Recently, Essex County authorized the Community Resources Department to apply for a Smart Growth Grant to fund a feasibility study for the Upper Bridge, which has been closed for 18 years. The towns of Chesterfield and Ausable hope to eventually reopen the bridge that closed almost two decades ago, thereby eliminating higher traffic commute times, safety concerns, and traffic congestion at the intersection of Main Street and Front Street. "Having that bridge would create a connector to the downtown area for residents and emergency personnel. It would be beneficial," said Town of Ausable Supervisor Tim Bresett. "That's why we should really be pushing to get that bridge to reopen in any capacity." The feasibility study will look into the structure itself, as well as traffic flow and what the necessary renovations are to reopen the structure," Bresett said. "I'd say it's probably going to be a good six or more months before we really hear much more on that. But we're just hopeful that we get the study done soon so that we can finally move forward with reopening the bridge." Also known as the "River Street Bridge" or "Mill Street Bridge," the Upper Bridge, which dates back to the 1870s, is the oldest and longest double-span metal Pratt truss bridge in New York State. It was documented in the Historic American Engineering Record (HAER) and designated a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark by the American Society of Civil Engineers in 1987. A year later, the Upper Bridge closed, sparking public outcry and several petitions that led to its repair and reopening, only this time with a weight limit. "The weight limit was an issue for a long time with the state, as they don't really want any bridges to have weight limits on them," Bresett said. As a result, along with other deficiencies, the bridge closed again in 2004. "It's closure once again [...] has been a burden and inconvenience to area residents, particularly those residing in the southern and western sections of the village," according to a 2008 application completed by the New York State Department of Transportation (DOT) and sponsored by the Essex County Department of Public Works in hopes of restoring the historic structure. "The bridge's closure has resulted in excess traffic in the downtown business district, as well as back-ups and delays on the Stone Arch Bridge." The bridge's closure also affected emergency services. For instance, during Hurricane Irene in 2011, two other bridges were closed, while the Upper Bridge sustained no damage. Unfortunately, since the bridge was already closed, ambulances couldn't cross the river to reach emergency calls. Today, its closure cuts off precious minutes and miles of driving around town in an emergency. "I know we don't have a hurricane every year, but if we do have another one, and it results the same way as Hurricane Irene did, we could be in deep trouble," said Town of Chesterfield Supervisor Clayton Barber. "We want to make sure that doesn't happen again." Since its closure, both towns — with encouragement and help from resident Matt Pray, who created the "Saving Keeseville's Historic Bridges" Facebook page — have made several attempts to reopen the bridge. The towns almost made headway in the early 2020s, during which time it would've cost around $180,000 to rehabilitate the bridge. A grant would've covered at least 90% of the costs, leaving the remaining $45,250 for both Clinton and Essex counties. While Essex County found its match, Clinton County did not, which led to the project falling through. There was even one point when a discussion arose about reopening the bridge for pedestrians only, Bresett shared. "But we really need to reopen the bridge for automobiles and emergency service vehicles." The best way to reopen the Upper Bridge would be by adding on a new foundation to the existing structure, Bresett continued. The only downside is that the bridge's listing on the National Register of Historic Places would be in jeopardy. "From what I was told, it would no longer be a historic bridge because it would be modified, even though it would still be very much the original bridge." However, to town officials, reopening the bridge sooner rather than later is a top priority. "Going through town today, you see closed bridges, blighted structures, and closed businesses. It doesn't encourage growth. If anything, it goes in the opposite direction," Bresett stressed. "People want to live in a beautiful community, not one that's run down and closed up. That's why we've got to avoid those things as much as possible."

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Town officials look to reopen Upper Bridge in Keeseville

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