June 9, 2016

Contact:

deppressoffice@dep.nyc.gov (845) 334-7868

Department of Environmental Protection Begins Work to Replace Two Bridges Near Rondout Reservoir

Photos of the Work are Available on DEP’s Flickr page

The New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) today announced that work has begun on a $7 million project to replace two small bridges at the headwaters of Rondout Reservoir in Sullivan County. The project includes work to replace the Lows Corners Bridge and Sugarloaf Bridge, which were constructed more than 60 years ago, at the same time as the reservoir.

“City-owned roads and bridges in the watershed are key to the maintenance and operation of the water supply system, and they are also important for the local residents and visitors who traverse them every day,” DEP Acting Commissioner Steven Lawitts said. “This $7 million investment will help to ensure that our infrastructure remains in a state of good repair for decades to come.”

Work to replace both bridges has already begun and is expected to be complete by the end of 2016. DEP owns, operates and maintains 57 bridges and 99 miles of roads throughout its upstate water supply system.

The 50-foot-long Sugarloaf Bridge carries Sundown Road over the Sugarloaf Brook. DEP has already installed a temporary bridge at the site to allow for the complete removal and replacement of the existing bridge. Coffer dams—metal structures that will divert the brook away from the work site—will soon be installed so that workers can remove and replace the bridge footings. Stop signs have been installed at both sides of the temporary bridge to ensure motorists safely navigate the lane shift.

The 150-foot-long Lows Corners Bridge carries Route 55A over Rondout Creek at the head of Rondout Reservoir. Workers will replace the superstructure of the bridge, and repairs will be made to its piers. The concrete wing walls that guide water beneath the bridge will also be replaced. Traffic at Lows Corners Bridge will be limited to one lane during construction. Traffic signals have been installed at both ends of the bridge. DEP encourages motorists to pay careful attention to the stop signs and traffic signals at both bridges, and ensure the safety of workers by driving carefully at both sites.

DEP manages New York City’s water supply, providing more than one billion gallons of high quality water each day to roughly 9.5 million New Yorkers. This includes more than 70 upstate communities and institutions in Ulster, Orange, Putnam and Westchester counties who consume an average of 110 million total gallons of drinking water daily from New York City’s water supply system. This water comes from the Catskill, Delaware, and Croton watersheds that extend more than 125 miles from the City, and the system comprises 19 reservoirs, three controlled lakes, and numerous tunnels and aqueducts. DEP has nearly 6,000 employees, including almost 1,000 scientists, engineers, surveyors, watershed maintainers and other professionals in the upstate watershed. In addition to its $70 million payroll and $157 million in annual taxes paid in upstate counties, DEP has invested more than $1.7 billion in watershed protection programs—including partnership organizations such as the Catskill Watershed Corporation and the Watershed Agricultural Council—that support sustainable farming practices, environmentally sensitive economic development, and local economic opportunity. In addition, DEP has a robust capital program with nearly $14 billion in investments planned over the next 10 years that will create up to 3,000 construction-related jobs per year. For more information, visit nyc.gov/dep, like us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter.