Expect a detour around the Route 46 bridge over Oneida Creek

The bad news is that the State Route 46 bridge over the Oneida Creek between Verona in Oneida County and Oneida in Madison County is closing Monday.

That means drivers will have to take a posted detour involving Route 46, detour utilizing State Route 46, State Route 31, and State Route 316, according to the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT).

The good news is that NYSDOT is spending $4.3 million in state and federal funds to replace it with a modern bridge that will keep traffic flowing well into the future.

'Reduce long-term maintenance costs'

“The replacement of the State Route 46 bridge over Oneida Creek will reduce long-term maintenance costs, said NYS DOT Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez in a statement, “strengthen a key connector between Madison and Oneida counties and also help preserve access to one of the region’s great recreational treasures, the Empire State Trail.”

The state is working to invest in infrastructure projects that will make the public safer and create roads and bridges resilient enough to withstand climate change, she added.

The existing, two-span bridge was built in 1957 and has, according to the state, reached the end of its own life span.

A new 170-foot, single-span bridge, longer than the original, won’t need a center pier in the Oneida Creek.

The new bridge will be less vulnerable to erosion and, without the central pier, will allow more water to pass under the bridge, helping to prevent flooding during storms, according to NYSDOT.

The project, expected to be finished by the end of November, also includes the repaving of Route 45 between the State Route 316/County Route 63 intersection and County Route 48 as well as new signs and guide rails.

The Empire State Trail meets up with Route 46 just north of the Oneida Creek bridge and continues along it for several miles. The state will make accommodations so that hikers and cyclists can continue of the trail without interruption while the new bridge is built, officials said.

“Investing in the replacement of the State Route 46 bridge over Oneida Creek is a vital step towards ensuring the safety and well-being of our communities,” said Assemblyman Brian Miller, R-New Hartford, in a statement. “This $4.3 million project will provide a modern, resilient structure that not only enhances safety but also supports economic growth by maintaining a critical transportation link.”

This article originally appeared on Observer-Dispatch: Expect a detour around the Route 46 bridge over Oneida Creek