Engineer Applauded
for His Efforts
How often does someone go out of their way to applaud someone else’s efforts. The moments can appear to be few and far between but when occur, they deserve notice.
In a letter to Guilford Rail System CEO and President David A. Fink, Village of Hoosick Falls Mayor Donald E. Bogardus said, “The Village of Hoosick Falls, New York State Department of Transportation and Guilford Rail have come to an agreement for replacing the Mechanic Street Bridge. It is my feelings that your project engineer, Phillip D. Brake, helped to accomplish this project and should be congratulated. The Village certainly thanks Phillip for his effort and time spent on this project.”
The Mechanic St. overhead roadway bridge in Hoosick Falls, NY is owned and maintained by the Railroad. Current weight limits on the bridge prohibit its use by emergency vehicles and school buses. This overhead bridge also limits the vertical clearance above the top of the rail to 18' 10". In a continuing effort to reduce Guilford’s overhead bridge inventory and to improve vertical clearances, Guilford’s Engineering Department worked with the State of New York and the Village of Hoosick Falls to have the bridge reconstructed.
After over a year of negotiating, terms of a new bridge’s construction have been finalized. The new bridge is currently in the design phase and construction should be completed by the year 2000 at a cost of $1.8 million. The new structure will have an improved vertical clearance of 21' 3", and will be owned and maintained by the Village of Hoosick Falls.