Public to hear plans for Alplaus Avenue bridge work

PHOTOGRAPHER: Ned Campbell

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A bridge that carries commuters over the Alplaus Kill could be renovated sometime next year.

Residents today will have a chance to weigh in on what the bridge will look like after the work is done.

The details of the proposed rehabilitation of the Alplaus Avenue (Schenectady County Route 16) bridge will be presented during an information meeting from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the Glendale Home Community Room at 59 Hetcheltown Road in Glenville.

The county Department of Engineering and Public Works is hosting the meeting with the purpose of gaining comments from residents, groups, officials and local agencies. Specifically, the county is seeking comments on the development of alternates for the project and the work’s potential social, economic and environmental effects, according to a public notice.

The bridge is used by commuters driving from Saratoga County into the Schenectady area, among other drivers. The work, now in the design phase, will include replacing the bridge deck and steal beams.

“This really is just a deck replacement,” said Joe McQueen, county spokesman. “The structure of the bridge itself is fine.”

McQueen said 95 percent of the work would be federally- and state-funded, with the county providing a 5-percent match. The design, once complete, would need federal approval. The work could begin in 2015, he said.