MAMARONECK, NY — It was fortunate that no one was killed when heavy downpours caused the Sheldrake River to overflow its banks and flood nearby streets and neighborhoods in a matter of minutes last month — there is every reason to believe that the community might not be so lucky next time, but a bridge project intended to address dangers in the flood-prone area has been abruptly halted.

On Friday afternoon, the Town of Mamaroneck announced that the Waverly Ave. Bridge project has been stopped.

Because the NYSDOT identified the Waverly Ave. Bridge as being structurally deficient, the bridge's owner, the Town of Mamaroneck, has been undertaking a $4.54 million project to replace it.

The bridge has also been identified as a chokepoint when the Sheldrake River rises, sending floodwaters into nearby homes. The bridge project also sought to address the flooding issue.

Design of the new bridge incorporated recommendations from the 2017 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Flood Risk Management Final Report. The report called for replacing the bridge with a longer span and deeper foundations, which will eventually allow the Army Corps of Engineers’ plans to widen the channel.

The Town of Mamaroneck received grants for the project in the amounts of $1.75 million through the NYS Department of Transportation BridgeNY program and $2.084 million through Westchester County’s Flood Mitigation Grant program.

Bi-weekly construction meetings were already scheduled to be held during the length of the project with the project team (including representatives from both the Town of Mamaroneck and the Village of Mamaroneck).

The Town of Mamaroneck says that its contractor attempted to start work by installing necessary barricades at the bridge.

According to the town, the Village of Mamaroneck removed the barricades without permission, demanding that the town pay around $750,000 to the village to cover police overtime for traffic control, an amount which the town describes as "out of line and unjustified."

The town added that it recognizes the importance of traffic control in the affected area, and that it is attempting to resolve the situation.

However, the town also says that the Mamaroneck Village Manager, Jerry Barberio, has refused to attend meetings between the town and village, meaning that there is no one from the village with authority to make the final decision at meetings...

Click here to read the full article.

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Here is a link to the Town of Mamaroneck's press release regarding the halt to the project.

Here is a lnk to Mayor Murphy's email response to the Town.

Here is a link to a memo from the Washingtonville Neighborhood Assocation.

 

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Click here to view Sharon Torres and Nora Lucas flood mitigation plans.

 

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