Got an email earlier this afternoon around 3:20pm from Downtown Schenectady Improvement Corp, letting me know there are all kinds of bridges closed in the Schenectady area. The Mohawk River is flooded, so every bridge that crosses the river closed:
MOHAWK RIVER BRIDGES CLOSED
Bridge Access to and from Downtown Schenectady Affected
Flooding conditions along the Mohawk River have prompted authorities to close all bridges across the Mohawk River in Schenectady County on Thursday afternoon, September 8, directly affecting travel to and from Downtown Schenectady.
Closures include:
- Freemans Bridge
- Western Gateway Bridge
- I-890 Bridge in Rotterdam
- Rexford Bridge
Portions of Route 5S west of Scotia and the Route 103 bridge between Glenville and Rotterdam Junction are also currently closed. Please plan accordingly and take every precaution when traveling near these areas.
For regular updates and alerts, please consult local media outlets.
Well, some of those local media outlets were reporting earlier today that Lock 9 at Rotterdam Junction had been damaged and might not be stable, but it turns out just one of the trusses was damaged and the soil eroded, but the NYS Canal Corporation alleviated fears by saying Lock 9 itself is still sound.
As News Channel 10 is now reporting, the New York State Canal Corporation, R.W. Groneman set the record straight in a message reading:
“There have been erroneous reports that Lock 9 at Rotterdam Junction has failed. That has not happened.
There is erosion of the north embankment behind the north abutment that supports the roadway that crosses above the dam structure. The abutment has not failed, a portion of the embankment around has failed. The abutment is under jurisdiction of DOT.
There is no reported structural damage to Lock 9 or to the dam.
There is reported damage to the truss structure which supports the movable dam gates and roadway at Lock 9 This is similar to the damage seen last week from Tropical Storm Irene.
DOT and the Canal Corporation are monitoring the situation. The roadway remains closed since Tropical Storm Irene. Failure lock is not anticipated.”
As the TU reports:
“The eastbound and westbound exit ramps at Exit 27 in Amsterdam, Exit 28 in Fultonville, and Exit 29 in Canajoharie are closed, the Thruway Authority announced. The on ramps to the Thruway remain open.”
Montgomery County is the one that seems to be getting the worst of this storm. Mandatory evacuations for even those who didn’t see flooding from Irene are being ordered for certain parts.
We have really been hammered with rain, flooding, damages, power outages, road and bridge closures and threats of closures lately, haven’t we? I hope all of our readers are safe and dry today! Our sympathies go out to those who aren’t.
One of my friends sent her 5-year-old daughter on the bus for the first day of school this morning, only to be told this afternoon that none of the buses were going to be taking students home. The police were restricting road access to emergency personnel, and there was talk of keeping the students overnight! Of course, that didn’t happen, and she eventually picked up her daughter from school, but what would you do as a parent if you received that news?
