BREAKING: Crown Point bridge to be replaced by Summer 2011

At public meetings today in Ticonderoga, New York state Department of Transportation officials committed to building a new span across Lake Champlain by the summer of 2011.

State Assemblywoman Teresa Sayward (R-Willsboro) who heads the public advisory committee, praised the effort and said the state’s response to the bridge crisis has been excellent.

Closure of the Crown Point bridge in mid-October stranded hundreds of motorists who live and work on opposite sides of the lake.

Engineers described the new construction schedule as “aggressive” and acknowledged that the process would include a radically shortened series of environmental and regulatory reviews.

In order to accommodate the new schedule, designers are attempting to place the new structure within the footprint of the old bridge.

It’s hoped that the strategy will avoid entanglements with historical, cultural or environmental resources in the area.

During the meeting, state and Federal officials also unveiled six proposed concepts for the new bridge, ranging from spartan concrete structures to graceful cable-supported spans.

You can view all six theoretical designs here. DOT officials are also asking interested parties to fill out this questionnaire no later than Monday afternoon.

Officials say the new structure will include six foot wide bike lanes, sidewalks for pedestrians, and re-engineered supports that would avoid impacts from logging- and agriculture-vehicles.

We’ll have much more on this story Monday morning during the 8 O’clock Hour.