Metro-North To Replace 2 Bridges In Port Chester

PORT CHESTER, NY — Construction will begin in July to replace two New Haven line bridges in Port Chester. MTA Metro-North Railroad announced Wednesday it will replace the bridges over Willet Avenue and Highland Street and one retaining wall located near US-1 and Boston Post Road.

Prep work to transform the bridges began at both sites in March ahead of construction to replace the nearly 130-year-old bridges, the railroad said.

Funding for the project is coming from the 2015-2019 MTA Capital Plan and a $26.3 million contract was awarded to DeFoe Corp., a contracting firm based in Mount Vernon.

The project will transform both bridges by making both safety and aesthetic improvements. Work on the bridges will improve the safety and reliability of the railroad by bringing the existing bridges in line to current design standards and improving the vertical clearances for traffic and emergency vehicles.

The open deck bridges will be replaced with ballast deck bridges, which will improve the noise made when trains go over the spans making it quieter for nearby residents.The stone bridge abutments, which support the bridges, will be cleaned to improve the overall look of the bridges and surrounding areas.

The bridge spans on the northeast corridor are for railroad use only and carry the Metro-North New Haven Line, Amtrak and freight. Of the four tracks on the corridor, one track will be taken out at a time to complete the bridge replacements. There will be no impact to customer travel times.

The replacement of the bridges and retaining wall will add to the enhancements already completed by the Metro-North Railroad in the Port Chester Station which included new entrance signage and LED lighting, new kiss and ride canopy and plaza, a replaced and striped parking lot, and a raised crosswalk providing safer and easy travel from the kiss and ride to the sidewalk on Broad Street.

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