NY Lawmaker: Others Could Suffer Bridge Closings

VALERIE BAUMAN

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — New York state Sen. Elizabeth Little said the sudden closure of an unstable, half-mile bridge spanning Lake Champlain in Essex County is isolating the communities that rely on it and harming nearby businesses.

Little said the closing does not bode well for other communities that could suffer the same problem of failing roads and infrastructure.

"The detour for the bridge is over 80 miles each way," Little said. "There are a huge number of people who live in New York and work in Vermont, and vice versa, but also many, many people in Crown Point, Fort (William) Henry and Ticonderoga get their health care in Middlebury, Vermont, at Porter hospital."

She said the hospital has the only maternity ward within 55 miles for some places in the area.

Engineers declared the 80-year-old bridge too unstable to be renovated, recommended demolishing it for safety reasons and building a new bridge.

Michael Sweeney has taken to rowing across the water. The 58-year-old is retired, but he delivers for a local newspaper and also likes to try to support the businesses that have been struggling without the bridge traffic.