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Minekill Bridge replacement

NYS DOT Department of Design

The New York State Department of Transportation announced it will be replacing the Minekill Bridge on Route 30 in the town of Gilboa, starting in May 2008. The existing Minekill Bridge has been featured nationally and it is on the cover of the NYSDOT report of the “Historic Bridges of New York.” Built in 1931 it has reached the end of its useful life.

Arch masonry bridges, in general, date back to before 2000 b.c. They were perfected during the Roman times and later during Medieval ages. Concrete arch bridges first appeared around 1900. The United States holds the distinction of having the first concrete arch bridge (by Ernest Ramsone, in San Francisco).

Prolific Michigan engineer Daniel Luten first studied concrete arch bridges during the late 1890s and applied for a design patent in 1899. In 1900, he built the second concrete arch bridge in the world. Shortly thereafter, Luten’s designs became very popular. Over the next 35 years, Daniel Luten was credited with the design and construction of more that 16,000 concrete arch bridges in the 47 contiguous United States.

The Minekill Bridge is an open spandrel concrete arch bridge which was designed “in house” by what was then called the Department of Public Works. H. O. Schermerhorn, the engineer who oversaw the design and parts of the construction, began his career with the New York Canal Corporation in late 1890s. By the early 1920s he was working for the DPW.

The Minekill Bridge was built in 1931. It was designed between 1928 and 1929, at the end of the Beaux Arts movement. The Minekill Bridge design is reflective of the euphoria that characterized the 1920s in the United States, and in particular, the aesthetic movement in New York.The existing Minekill Bridge has been featured as one of the most important historic bridges in New York State and is a candidate for the National Registry of Historic Places. Minekill Falls and the Minekill State Park are part of the Appalachian Trail and enjoy a significant amount of tourism year round.

Original Structure	Projected Final Structure
Bypass During Construction	Projected Final Road

NYSDOT reached out to the public, other agencies, historic societies, and organizations during the scoping phase of the project to gather as much input as possible. Early in the design phase, after considering all of the input provided, it was decided that a design similar to the existing bridge would be the most appropriate to preserve the character of the area and the character of the bridge itself.

So, the new bridge will once again be an open spandrel concrete arch bridge.

The construction of arch bridges is more complicated than traditional bridges and every step requires careful consideration. In addition, due to the proximity to the falls, the reservoir, and the state park, special attention will be taken into account to preserve all of the area’s natural resources during construction. The designers were faced with many challenges in order to provide the best environmental protection during the building of the bridge and they have answered them successfully.

A detour bridge will first be built to accommodate the traffic during 2008–2009.

Then, the contractor will proceed with the removal of the old bridge and the construction of the new one. Simultaneously, this project will address areas adjacent to the bridge to bring them up to contemporary standards and requirements, inasmuch as the road was built at the same time the bridge was constructed, in 1931.

When the new bridge is open to traffic, the contractor will remove the detour bridge and perform the necessary restoration and landscaping work.