Ogden town officials are renewing their demand for CSX to repair its Gillett Road bridge, which has been out of commission for over 500 days, saying it poses a serious threat to public safety.
The chiefs of the Spencerport Fire Department, Ogden Police Department, and Gates Volunteer Ambulance, along with Ogden Supervisor Mike Zale and Spencerport Mayor Gary Penders, sent a letter to CSX President Joseph R. Hinrichs regarding the closure.
"Gillett Road is not just some side road to be ignored," Zale said during a news conference Tuesday. "It is a critical access route connecting key parts of this community."
The bridge closure blocks access to a nearby bridge over the Erie Canal, which crosses the northern part of the town.
Zale was joined by representatives from the various emergency response agencies that serve the town and the village of Spencerport. They all emphasized that the bridge closure serves as a barrier when they are trying to respond to situations where minutes, if not seconds, matter.
"What could typically take three minutes could take 10 because an officer needs to detour to the nearest available bridge rather than going over the bridge that's directly in front of them," said Ogden Police Chief Travis Gray.
He later added: "Unless this bridge comes back into service, our residents are going to suffer. That's what this boils down to."
Spencerport Fire District Chief Jake Bromage said since the bridge was closed on Dec. 6, 2023, the agency has responded to 300 calls north of the canal, most of them emergencies that needed "lights and sirens."
The bridge was closed after the state Department of Transportation issued two "red flag" warnings about the structural integrity of its supports. CSX removed its rails beneath the bridge many years ago.
CSX has argued that it is not responsible for the repairs and that it has abandoned the bridge. Zale says there is no record of the company officially abandoning it.
Zale also said the town, county, and CSX had an agreement to remove the bridge and change the grading of the road so a bridge would not be needed. They were awarded a federal grant to aid in that $8.3 million effort last year, but the Senate failed to pass a measure that would have funded it, leaving it in limbo.
The county plans to send the rail company its own letter. And it will give CSX an ultimatum: fix the bridge or face a lawsuit that, if successful, would compel the company to fix it.
