Binghamton I-81 Bridge Repair Job Taking Longer than Expected

A complicated project designed to stabilize a sinking Interstate 81 bridge in Binghamton has yet to be finished.

Work on the $3.5 million repair job has been underway for months. Chenango Street has been closed to through traffic since September. Traffic on I-81 is not affected by the project.

The state Department of Transportation had expected the street to reopen in December but that didn't happen. Pedestrians and bicyclists are able to use the street as construction work continues.

An agency spokesman was unable to provide an updated target date for completion of the project. He said as of now, there are no plans to stop work during the winter and restart it in the spring.

The DOT installed special monitoring equipment under the bridge after it became clear there was an ongoing problem with "uncharacteristic settlement" of the structure.

The bridge was constructed in 2013 as part of the massive Prospect Mountain project to redesign the Interstate 81/Route 17 interchange.

The DOT has said the work now underway is being done "out of an abundance of caution to preserve the structure's 75-year design life."

The state has been reviewing options to recover the costs associated with the effort to fix the troubled bridge.

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Contact WNBF News reporter Bob Joseph: bob@wnbf.com.

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