Old State Road Archives - Keeseville's Historic Bridges

Another Update

By matt | June 17, 2021 | Comments 0 Comment

Here is yet another update. A Clinton County official recently mentioned that the RAISE federal grant is best used when bundling other bridge projects together. The grant is usually awarded to large projects with multiple bridges involved. I mentioned that one of the things we have been pushing for is bundling projects, and that Clinton County could reach out to Essex County and apply for this grant together for a stronger application. Grants would cover 80% of the cost of restoration.

The topic of discussion going forward is how to pay for the remaining 20%, and what will the future of the bridges look like. One of the possibilities being discussed is that the counties would help with the restoration of the bridges, and once the restoration is paid for and completed, donating and turning the bridges over to the towns of Ausable and Chesterfield where they then will be cared for and maintained by those who really love the bridges. This would also allow non-profit organizations to help out in the future.

At the county level it is very difficult for anything to be accomplished because of NYSDOT regulations, multiple counties, multiple towns, multiple DOT regions, etc. This is why nothing has been accomplished in over ten years. Having less municipalities involved makes things much easier to get accomplished. From here it is “What do we want to see done with our bridges?” and also “What is the minimum we are willing to accept”A Historic Rehabilitation is extremely important because of the significance of our bridges.

Having a company with the mostly forgotten knowledge and skills to restore these bridges is extremely important. Of course, we would want our bridges to be reopened to traffic. The bridges could also be used for pedestrian/emergency vehicle traffic, or just as pedestrian bridges.

Because they are on the National Historic Registry, these bridges can not be removed without a lengthy and expensive process. If nothing is done, they will sit there and continue to be eye-sores, and become even more unsafe/dangerous and eventually collapse or cause injury. The best course of action is to take these eye-sores and bring them back to benefit the community for use by locals and tourists. They offer scenic vista of the unique contours of the Ausable River, and provide a link to both sides of the community.

We are so grateful that these conversations are taking place. Nothing is set in stone, and this is all preliminary discussion. On our yard signs we have a quote that says “Let’s Work Together To Find a Solution”.It is these types of discussions that will lead to a solution being found, and we thank all of those involved from the Town of Ausable, Town of Chesterfield, Clinton County and Essex County.

It is certain that there will be roadblocks and barriers to overcome along the way, but an important first step has been made.

**Please remember that these bridges have not been maintained or inspected since 2009. They are nice to visit and look at but please do not go on the bridges. The beams under the decking on the bridges do have section loss, and that’s why they were closed. (This is an easy fix once the restoration happens)**

Swing Bridge Inspected! (Thank You!)

By matt | June 2, 2021 | Comments 0 Comment

The Swing Bridge has been inspected!I just got off the phone with Clinton County Highway Superintendent Karl Weiss. He mentioned that he is waiting for the report on the Swing Bridge and confirmed it was inspected recently.

The inspection showed more paint loss since the last inspection in 2014. It still showed very minor work needing to be done, and that paint was the primary issue. He said the inspection confirmed that there is NO danger of the swing bridge being closed down. (we can all breath a sigh of relief there!)

In regards to the Trees covering the Swing Bridge. Karl mentions that it is a difficult job for Clinton County to do on their own, and that he has been trying to find help from contractors since April who can help the county remove the trees. He mentioned that the Town of Ausable is also willing to give some workers to help with the issues. Once they find the contractors, the trees will be addressed. (Thank you for this)

While I had him on the phone, I asked about the Old State Road Bridge Historical Structure Report Grant. We will find out if that grant is awarded at some point in July.I appreciated this phone call very much today. I know things like this, and especially that I can be difficult sometimes, but as I mentioned to Karl on the phone, none of this is personal towards anyone. I’m only trying to do good things for my home town.

This is a giant step in the right direction.Before today, I had no idea the bridge had been inspected, nor did I have any idea that the County had been working since April to find someone to cut the trees. The update was a surprise to hear. It was great to hear of that activity happening. We appreciate it very much. I hope we can keep the lines of communication open in the future.Thank you Karl and the Clinton County Highway Department for the update, and thank you for helping us resolve some of the issues in our town.

A side view of the Old State Road Bridge

A Learning Process

By matt | June 1, 2021 | Comments 0 Comment

Well, I learned a lot from yesterday’s frustrations. As you all know, my goal has been to present the information, solutions, problems etc in a positive way for all those interested in the project to know the facts, both good and bad. I’ve been at this nearly every day since July 22, 2020. Three weeks ago, I invited all of our county officials once again to see the bridges. (A few had previously walked with me to hear our story) Two officials responded to my email, and none have taken me up on the offer to tour the bridges with me.

My frustration was growing in the lack of response from county officials. It peaked when I learned our Rep was removed from the transportation committee, I put it out to the public to read a bit too soon, and still wanted to get more information. My frustrations caught the best of me, and I sent a strongly worded email to the County head asking for an answer. I realized my frustrations got the best of me, and rewrote the email sent it again with better intentions.

I did get clarification from the county and shared that in a previous post to make sure the facts were presented. While I’m still not a fan of our rep being removed form the transportation committee, I did learn the reasoning behind it, and also learned something I wouldn’t have if this had not happened. I learned yesterday that Clinton County currently does not have a grant writer, and they are trying to find one. They are looking into the details of the grants I’ve provided them.

I encouraged them to work with Essex County’s office to submit a combined application as it would be a much stronger application with the support coming from both counties. Rob mentioned he would bring these ideas up and see if it could work out.

The moral of the story is communication. I’ve been expressing that we can all communicate better. I have no intentions of making this political, or to turn things negative. I have no intentions of speaking poorly about any county official. I just ask they work with us rather than against us.

In fact, I’m very eager to post any positive news when there is positive news to share. It’s my goal to make our officials look good, and not to make accusations that are unwarranted. They are the ones that can be the heroes in this whole process.

I’m sure that officials don’t like the fact I post everything to the public, but really my intentions are to avoid rumors and falsehoods as much as possible. I think the public needs to be kept informed on this issue. They are public officials, and everything should be open to everyone interested.When I started this I wasn’t a ‘bridge person’, nor was I big on ‘historic preservation’. I just wanted to do something great for Keeseville.

My frustrations stemmed from months of hard work, passion, and lack of progress by a few key individuals. I still wish to work with those individuals, rather that work against them. From my prospective, when there is no response for weeks it seems like we are being ignored. (This doesn’t in fact mean we are being ignored, but it sure feels like it). Our letters are sending a strong message from our community. We are being heard, and I’d like to encourage better communication between all involved (including myself). I’m here to help our county officials in any way possible. Thank you all for understanding, and for the support. We need to work together with our county officials to find a solution.