New Sodom Road Bridge To Open For Traffic

Editor's Note: The bridge will open Friday as scaffolding issues prevented its scheduled opening Thursday, county officials said.

SOUTHEAST, NY — Motorists who've been following the complicated detour since work began in the spring can rejoice: the Sodom Road Bridge project has been completed on schedule and the road is once again open for travel.

The project was the largest bridge built in Putnam County since 1978 and is the first of its kind in the region, officials said. The original structure, constructed 101 years ago almost to the day, was severely structurally deficient and had been the worst-rated bridge in the entire county.

“We would like to thank all the residents in the Town of Southeast and Village of Brewster for their patience and understanding while construction occurred," Putnam County Executive MaryEllen Odell said Wednesday in an announcement. “The good news is that the new bridge is built for the long haul. It is constructed to last a long, long time.”

The new bridge will not need regular painting and is less susceptible to rust. In May, Highway Commissioner Fred Pena described it as a simple span, pre-stressed concrete beam bridge with integral abutments on micropiles. The beams do not require periodic painting. Integral abutments eliminate joints, which helps prevent the intrusion of road salts and extends the useful life of the structure, and a pile-supported abutment is resistant to failure caused by scour.

Bridge scour, the process of erosion around a bridge foundation caused by flooding, is the leading cause of bridge failure, according to the United States Geological Service.

“The Sodom Road Bridge carries a lot of local traffic from downtown Brewster and points south through the Town of Southeast,” said Putnam County Legislator Carl L. Albano, Chair of the Physical Services Committee. “It is one of few through-routes that local drivers can take to avoid I-684 and Route 22. That’s why it was so important to get this job completed on schedule. I want to thank the Highway Department for a job well done.”

The project team included members from C&S Engineering, Tectonic Engineering, Harrison & Burrowes Contracting and members of the Putnam County Highway Department.

Odell said her administration is committed to improving Putnam's roadway infrastructure.

Back left to right: Thomas Feighery, John Bellucci. Front: Carl Albano, MaryEllen Odell, Fred Pena, Brian Hildenbrand, John Tully. Also included are staff of Tectonic Engineering and Harrison & Burrowes Contracting.