An Update on the Hoyt Carriageway Bridge

Concrete repair to the east abutment

The long process of repairing and reopening the Hoyt Carriageway Bridge continues.  The project’s goals are twofold: re-establish the main historic entrance to The Point that Vaux and Mr. Hoyt laid out, and reopen a popular hiking and biking route into Mills Norrie State Park and to the Hudson River.

Phases 1 and 2 of the project have been completed: the tree removal work and the concrete repair of the east abutment (see image above).  The 3 remaining phases are the decking replacement, the fence replacement, and the shoring up of the east and west piers.  The decking and fencing contractors have been lined up, while the search continues for the pier shoring contractor.  That phase involves the fabrication and installation of steel box trusses.

CSX Transportation, the owner of the railroad right-of-way, is insisting on a “canopy” fence over the entire bridge, even though Amtrak, the lessee of the tracks from CSX, had no objection to CVPA’s proposal of a simple 4-foot high black 1” chain link fence on each side of the bridge. The NYS Historic Preservation Office is not in favor of the canopy concept on this historic structure, so this issue is under negotiation.

More complex is the issue of ownership of the structure.  Like many of the older bridges over the tracks along the Hudson River, no entity currently claims to own it. CSX is insisting that CVPA assume ownership, which the organization is not in a position to do.  This demand was not anticipated, and has stalled the project temporarily. 

CVPA continues its efforts to resolve these issues and continue with the repair process.

Tree removal on the east approach to the bridge