NARROWSBURG, NY — An inspection of the bridge above the dam at the end of Little Lake Erie—Town Bridge 17—on September 17 revealed that the bridge needs to be replaced.

A letter from engineer Robert Trotta to Town of Tusten Highway Supervisor Glenn Swendsen explained that the bridge was created in a design called “jack arches,” consisting of eleven steel beams separated with arches. Seven of the beams have deteriorated, and need to be replaced, and the letter suggests replacing all of them because that will be necessary.

The town highway department will need to decide whether the bridge should be replaced in kind or if a new type of bridge should be installed. The letter said “the no-action alternative is not recommended.”

The letter says the bridge is adequate for its intended purpose, and if it were replaced as it is, it could be done in stages to allow traffic to continue to use it while it is being replaced. Alternatively, the highway department might choose a different design.

The cost would be $65,000 for the existing design if town labor and equipment were used, and $146,000 for the alternative design if town labor and equipment were used. The cost would be substantially higher in both cases if an outside contractor is engaged.

Additionally, Trotta says there are a couple of immediate steps that need to be taken, including covering a hole in the deck with a steel plate and having the bridge rated by an engineer to determine if the weight on it should be restricted.