Work repainting the Interstate 490 bridge over the Genesee River is winding down.
But the project — involving one of Rochester’s most recognizable landmarks — is winding up costing taxpayers much more than planned.
The work involves stripping off the old paint and applying multiple coats of zinc- and epoxy-based paint.
Gov. Kathy Hochul announced the $5.3 million preventative maintenance project last May. But a spokesperson for the state Department of Transportation says more of that epoxy was needed than first envisioned when the project was bid in late 2023.
The project is state and federally funded.
Completed in 2007, the triple-arch bridge was renamed that year from the Troup-Howell to the Frederick Douglass-Susan B. Anthony Memorial Bridge. The previous bridge had stood for a half century.
State officials say the new paint coating should protect the bridge's arches and its crossbeams from wear and corrosion for another 10 or 15 years.
Nighttime lane closures resumed last month and will continue for several weeks. Staging that has hung from the bridge for the past year is coming down.
