State officials say the lift bridge in Spencerport has reopened after a major renovation project that went on for the last 16 months.
The bridge carries traffic over the Erie Canal on Rt. 259, and a spokesman for the New York State Transportation Department, Jordan Guerrein, said that the bridge will now be all set for a number of years.
"We are not going to have to have a significant closure like this again, we expect, for the next 20 to 30 years," Guerrin said. "These have been significant repairs to the flooring system, to the electrical work on the bridges, (and) some of the mechanical pieces that help lift the bridges are being replaced, so this is really a full-tilt makeover here."
New York Canal Corporation Director Brian Stratton said lift bridges are iconic structures over the Erie canal that connect canalside communities.
Spencerport Mayor Gary Penders said because of the bridge project, the village was able to complete sidewalk replacements by the south side of the bridge without having to disrupt that area later to accomplish that.
The bridge work in Spencerport is part of the same $16 million project that also involves renovating the lift bridge in Fairport. That work is still going on, and that bridge could reopen as soon as next February.
It is expected that both the Route 259 and Route 250 lift bridges will be fully functional and accessible for vehicular and boat traffic ahead of the 2021 canal navigation season.
Both bridges are more than a century old.
