Hansen Island Bridge has been yellow flagged by the New York State Department of Transportation.
Little Falls Mayor Bob Peters said Tuesday that after a routine DOT inspection the bridge was initially red flagged.
“The red flag status has since been lowered to yellow flag status after the inspection, however, it still means we have to take steps to repair the bridge,” said Peters to members of the city’s Common Council. “We have begun the process of determining what work has to be done to bring the bridge back up to standard and as to how much it will cost. The bridge is owned by the city so it is our responsibility to repair it.”
According to the DOT, “red flags” indicate conditions involving key structural components that require prompt evaluation and corrective action. “Yellow flags” identify less critical conditions that are likely to progress to a more significant deficient state if they are not addressed.
“Redco Foods relies on the bridge and they have been notified of the situation,” said Peters. “I have assured them that the repair work will be done as quickly as possible, as they are one of the major industries in our city and we do not want to negatively impact their business.”
The bridge was the subject of repair in 1991, which at the time cost $500,000.
“The city bonded for that $500,000 and still has debt remaining on it. But the fact of the matter is that this bridge must be repaired, so we might have to bond for the work again,” said Peters. “We will continue to work as fast as we can to get the bridge off of the yellow flag list.”