Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation

January 07, 2016

Angela Berti
(716) 278-1764

Public Hearing Set on Historic Niagara Falls Bridges

New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (State Parks) and The New York State Department of Transportation (DOT) will hold a public hearing to discuss the proposed rehabilitation/replacement of the American Falls Bridges, which connect Niagara Falls, Green Island and Goat Island within Niagara Falls State Park in the City of Niagara Falls.

The meeting will be held beginning at 5:00 p.m. Wednesday, January 27, 2016 in the Grand Foyer and Grand Ballroom at the Conference Center Niagara Falls, 101 Old Falls Street, Niagara Falls, NY 14303 to discuss the Design Approval Document, which will provide options for replacing the bridges. Participants will be able to peruse displays and speak with staff from 5:00 p.m. until 6:30 p.m., when a formal presentation will take place. Written and oral comments on the project will be accepted as a part of the official record during the session.

Currently, there is no funding identified for the project. Once Design Approval is obtained for a preferred bridge design, State Parks will evaluate opportunities to secure special state and/or federal funding for the bridge replacement project.

The existing pedestrian bridges were built in 1901 and have undergone various rehabilitations since that time. Deterioration required the installation of temporary truss bridges in 2004 to provide for the safe passage across both bridges.

Copies of the Design Approval Documents are available for review and copying at the following locations in Niagara Falls: City Clerk's Office, 725 Main Street; Niagara Falls Public Library, 1425 Main Street; and the State Parks Administration Building, 1 Prospect Park as well as State Parks' website at: http://nysparks.com/inside-our-agency/public-documents.aspx.

For further information, or to request a sign language interpreter or assistive listening system, please contact Craig Mozrall, Regional Special Projects Manager, at (716) 847-3033, or write to the New York State Department of Transportation, 100 Seneca Street, Buffalo, New York 14203, and reference Project Identification Number 5760.40 by January 20, 2016.

-30-