Thousands of motorists who drive down Main Street in the village of Fairport will need to take an alternate route, as repairs began Wednesday on the 105-year-old lift bridge.
For the next 14 months, the main village thoroughfare will be closed.
But that's no cause for concern, according to Mayor Julie Domaratz.
“While many people see it as an obstacle, we here look at it as an opportunity to celebrate 'Fairport on the Rise,' " she says.
That's a campaign designed to convince people that the village is an ideal destination to live, work and visit.
Domaratz says it's a celebration of both the village's history and the bright future she says is ahead.
She says there's a detour that avoids the village, but she recommends pedestrians use the "Fairport on the Rise Trail," which is marked on village sidewalks.
“The village is open,” she says. “We've made sure that we have ample signage. We have some billboards that will show people how to get around. We will have an opportunity to have things in our village that don't normally happen on Main Street in the village of Fairport that people will want to come down and check out."
Lesa Kime, co-owner of Main Street Mercantile, says she and other business owners aren't too concerned about the project negatively affecting business.
“I hope that people still realize that the village is still very accessible,” Kime says. “That the traffic can still come through the village. And hoping that the public will still patronize the restaurants and shops to keep us all still vibrant and in business."
Kime says the businesses will do just fine as long as people continue to come to the village.
It's a $16.3 million project, and the cost will be shared by the New York State Department of Transportation and the Canal Corp.
It's expected the bridge will reopen in November 2020.