Bridge repainting project is nearing completion

Repainting for south bridges is nearly done

by Larry Austin
Grand Island Dispatch, December 3, 2004

After five years, three contractors, and $15 million dollars, the repainting of the South Grand Island Bridges is nearing completion.

The New York State Thruway Authority anticipates finishing the painting work at the bridges in the next few weeks.

“As far as we know, we are hopeful to be on time for the completion date, which is mid-December,” said Sarah Kampf, spokeswoman for the New York State Thruway Authority.

“You want my comment? Finally!” said Grand Island Town Supervisor Peter McMahon, laughing. “I don’t know whether they had bad luck or what, but the first two contractors that won the bid both went bankrupt.”

The greatest delay in the project was with the two previous contractors, Textar Painting of Pennsylvania and Keystone Co. of New York City, “both of whom were let go following what the Authority determined to be poor performance and lack of timely progress,” Kampf said.

A legal process to declare the bidder in default and rebid the process followed each time the Thruway Authority sought a new contractor. “And of course, for the most part, that project is weather sensitive,” McMahon said. “Every time they did something like that they probably lost a season on it.”

“They started to clean up in some of their work areas underneath the bridge on both sides,” he added. “And I’m very pleased they’re going to be done for the winter.”

Erie Interstate Contractors Inc. of Lancaster, N.Y., is the current contractor on the project, Kampf said.

“The extension of the project has resulted in no additional costs on the part of the Thruway Authority,” Kampf added. The project has a $15 million tab to date, but the Thruway Authority is on the hook only for the original $10 million. Travelers Casualty and Surety Co., a bonding company that insured the original work and stepped in when Textar’s involvement ended, is picking up the difference.

McMahon said he heard no complaints from residents about the lengthy project. “I know that, for the most part, it really wasn’t a negative impact on traffic, at least certainly not during rush hours or periods of heavy traffic. Once they got the scaffolding up, and got that canvas put around it, they were able to sandblast all day and all night or whenever they wanted to without having any impact on traffic. They closed the bridge to one lane, but usually that was after dark, and so I don’t think there was a lot of inconvenience to the residents or the commuters, the patrons of the thruway.”

The original Grand Island bridges were built in 1935 and acquired by the Thruway Authority in 1950. During the initial phase of the nearly completed painting project, a Textar worker fell to his death.

The current contractor has been on the job for two years. The project involved lead abatement and repainting in a bright blue color.