Your Stories Q&A: When will the closed Route 49 bridge in West Monroe reopen?

TOWN OF WEST MONROE, N.Y. (WSYR-TV) — You ask, we answer!

The Your Stories Team keeps getting questions about a closed bridge in Oswego County.

Viewer Question: Is the closed Route 49 bridge in West Monroe still on schedule to open this November? I’m hearing that it might stay closed until next year.

It is on schedule, but the plan has been tweaked a bit by the New York State Department of Transportation.

The bridge on Route 49 that goes over Big Bay Creek has been closed to traffic since June due to deficiencies. It dates back to the 1940s.

The original plan was to repair the old bridge as a temporary solution until construction on a new $3 million bridge could begin next year.

But now, the NYSDOT has decided against repairing the old bridge due to costs. Instead, a temporary bridge will be installed near the current structure and remain in place until the new one is built.

The NYSDOT sent the following statement on the current timeline.

“NYSDOT’s project to replace the State Route 49 bridge over Big Bay Creek is still on schedule with construction anticipated to begin next spring. The department planned to install a temporary bridge to accommodate traffic during construction of the new bridge next year, but accelerated that installation as a more cost-effective approach to repairing the bridge. The temporary bridge is anticipated to open by the end of November for all vehicles, with no load restrictions.”

Getting Route 49 back open in November will be welcomed news for people living in West Monroe.

The closed bridge has caused traffic issues for the town.

Back in July, Town of West Monroe Highway Superintendent, Mike Walker, told the Your Stories Team that his phone had been ringing with complaints about the added traffic on country roads .

Walker said Helinger Road has seen the biggest increase in traffic since the Route 49 bridge closure. He said a recent traffic count showed that anywhere from 7,000 to 10,000 cars now use Helinger Road daily. He said that number was about 500 to 550 before the bridge closure.

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