Crown Point bridge needs to be replaced

Governor Paterson’s office just sent out this release. Brian Mann is at a public meeting today and will have more on All Before Five and The 8 O’Clock Hour. Here’s the heart of the matter:

An underwater inspection of the bridge’s concrete piers and underlying foundations found cracks and significant deterioration in the unreinforced concrete substructures well below the water level that render these supports so fragile that a sudden collapse could occur.

“Safety was our primary concern when we closed the Lake Champlain Bridge last month and it is our chief interest now,” Governor Paterson said. “We must make a decision that protects those who cross the bridge, as well as workers and engineers, and therefore we have no choice but to tear down the dangerously deteriorated bridge. Both states are committed to moving quickly to reestablish the critical link by building a new bridge in this corridor to serve commuters, farms and businesses.”