Morningthorpe Ave. bridge may get repaired

By Marcela Rojas • The Journal News • November 29, 2008

It's been awhile since cars have traveled over Morningthorpe Bridge, but plans to fix the scenic crossing appear to be gaining momentum.

The county Legislature's Physical Services Committee met this week to discuss what to do with the shuttered bridge, agreeing that it should be a priority. The wooden and steel span on Morningthorpe Avenue - connecting Railroad Avenue to Route 22 in both Brewster and Southeast -closed in January after county highway department officials found some structural deficiencies. The bridge, which dates back to at least 1894, according to state transportation records, has gotten little attention since.

"We can't just walk away from the bridge," said committee Chairman Vincent Tamagna, R-Philipstown. "With all the revitalization going on in the village, we can't just leave it."

Tamagna said the Legislature needs to consider the best use for the bridge, including whether it should be restored, replaced or removed.

Legislator Dan Birmingham, R-Brewster, stressed that the bridge should be repaired. He said the issue is safety, and that there have been accidents at Railroad Avenue and Route 22 since its closure. Making a left onto Route 22 from Railroad Avenue, he said, is "prohibitively dangerous."

Putnam County Undersheriff Peter Convery, who was present at the meeting, backed Birmingham's safety concerns, saying that it's a very bad turn, and that the closure is particularly difficult on the ambulance corps, which has to take detours.

"Quite frankly we've got a lot of money for horse farms and golf courses," Birmingham said, referring to county-owned Tilly Foster Farm in Southeast and Putnam National Golf Club in Mahopac. "In light of safety and fixing our infrastructure, let's get the bridge repaired."

Birmingham said restoring the bridge would cost $400,000, according to 2-year-old figures. The price to replace it is between $3.5 and $4 million, he said.

Tamagna said new estimates should be sought immediately.

That plan is already under way, Birmingham said following the meeting. He added that seeking money from other agencies is just not feasible. The bridge, which runs over the New York City-owned East Branch Croton River, sits on the Brewster-Southeast border.

"This is our responsibility," he said. "It's a county bridge."

Deputy County Executive John Tully said the county does spend a significant amount of money on infrastructure and that it will work with the board to find a solution.

"We want to be a good neighbor with the village of Brewster," Tully said.

Brewster resident and property owner Richard Ruchala said Morningthorpe Bridge provides a nice entrance to the village. It sits parallel to Electrazone Field with its picturesque gazebo and war memorial.

"If you lose it, you're losing a nice venue coming into the village," Ruchala said. "At this time, it would be beneficial and necessary to repair it."

Southeast resident Denis Castelli, the village's historian and consultant, said the bridge has particular importance to Brewster's future. A park is planned for an area just north of Morningthorpe, he said.

Brewster has been experiencing a transformation in recent years with millions of dollars of infrastructure work and building and facade restorations now completed throughout the half-square-mile village.

Over the summer, 50 Main St., a longtime vacant behemoth in the heart of the village, reopened to include a signature apartment building for senior citizens. The four-story structure, which was purchased by the Putnam Community Foundation, a nonprofit housing agency founded by state Sen. Vincent Leibell, R-Patterson, is expected to house Village Hall and possibly a bank or pharmacy.

"It's a significant crossing and historically a significant component of movement from the village to the town," Castelli said.

Reach Marcela Rojas at mrojas@lohud.com or 845-228-2271.