That Sinking Feeling: More Headaches on I-81 in Binghamton

Another mysterious pavement problem has developed on Interstate 81 a short distance from Binghamton's "sinking bridge."

State transportation department crews have been keeping a wary eye on a new "dip" that developed on the highway near the bridge over the Brandywine Highway.

The problem spot is just east of the troubled I-81 bridge over Chenango Street that cost millions of dollars to fix.

Part of the southbound right lane on I-81 has been closed for more than a week because the pavement has been sinking.

The DOT had announced the lane closure last week "to facilitate a paving project." The lane was expected to be shut down for one day.

But it turned out paving alone would not fix the problem. Crews have continued working on the site in recent days to assess the situation and to try to determine what causing the trouble.

In an email response to an inquiry from WNBF News, a DOT spokesperson wrote that the agency "is aware that there has been some settlement of the roadway."

According to the statement, "this settlement is limited to the roadway on Interstate 81 and is in no way a risk to the bridge" over Route 7 - the Brandywine Highway.

The statement said the DOT has "made temporary repairs to the surface and are closely monitoring the roadway and embankment to determine what, if any additional repairs are needed."

The spokesperson said the cause of the problem has yet to be determined. It's not known when the closed I-81 traffic lane will reopen.

A section of Chenango Street on Binghamton's North Side was closed for nearly 15 months while work was done to deal with a sinking bridge.

The DOT has not explained what caused the "uncharacteristic settlement" of the bridge. The agency said the first phase of the project cost $3.5 million but it never released what the total cost of the repair work.

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Contact WNBF News reporter Bob Joseph: bob@wnbf.com. For breaking news and updates on developing stories, follow @BinghamtonNow on Twitter.