The Willow Avenue bridge over Idlewild Creek is about two weeks away from completion. The news was revealed last week during a site visit between Town of Cornwall Supervisor Randy Clark, town engineer Mark Edsall, County Legislator Kevin Hines and Orange County Department of Public Works Acting Commissioner Christopher Viebrock.
The meeting also provided an update on what remains to be completed on the project and offered a better picture of what the bridge will look like when it’s finished.
Willow Avenue, between Main Street and Broadway has been closed since the beginning of July. The Orange County DPW installed a new culvert and has been repairing the headwalls on either side. Once complete, the project will create a safer crossing for motorists.
The new bridge will have a freshly poured sidewalk with guiderails for safety.
Clark questioned whether something more aesthetically pleasing could be used instead.
“It looks great on the Thruway,” he said. “It’s an atrocity to the community.”
Unfortunately, Viebrock explained, the metal guiderails are required by the New York State Department of Transportation.
“It’s supposed to protect cars from going over the side,” Viebrock said. “If a car does pop the curb, they’re going down the embankment into the creek. If a car flips over in the water, a person could submerge.”
Concrete Jersey barriers will be used temporarily until the guiderails can be installed this fall. Viebrock said the post pounder was in an accident and a new one is being constructed.
Town Council members have been concerned about kids getting onto the culvert and falling into the shallow water.
Viebrock said down the slope from the sidewalk will be a black vinyl, six-foot chain link fence running parallel to the bridge and extending down the embankment on either side. Edsall suggested the fence be extended into the adjacent woods to prevent kids from walking around and entering the creek area.
As a finishing touch, Viebrock said the exposed culvert will be camouflaged with an earth tone colored paint so it blends with its surroundings.
