Letter to Michael Ward CEO of CSX - North Court Street Bridge
Letter
Dear Mr. Ward:
I write today on behalf of Madison County and their residents, regarding the North Court Street Bridge, which extends above a CSX line. Recently, the County was ready to commence with a large scale repair of this aging bridge. However, your organization forced the County to halt any planned construction, referencing right-of-way controls that have put this direly needed bridge reconstruction in limbo. The delay in construction is also forcing County officials to consider a permanent closure of the bridge that would cause major traffic problems for the Village of Canastota.
Several years ago, Madison County officials, knowing the North Court Street Bridge was nearing the end of its useful life, pieced together a funding plan to reconstruct the aging bridge. In time, the County set aside roughly $800,000 for this project and looked to begin the work this spring. In addition, the State of New York has officially "red-flagged' the North Court Street Bridge. This means, without the repair, the bridge must be closed permanently. A permanent closure of this bridge would detour over 5,000 cars and trucks a day into the Village of Canastota. The influx of truck traffic, alone, would spell trouble for the County.
After reaching out to CSX to discuss this project, County officials learned that the right-of-way requests proffered to them prior to the project's start date would add an additional $450,000 to the cost of the reconstruction. This is money Madison County does not have and a demand they cannot meet. However, this has not stopped CSX from insisting control over the bridge reconstruction, without offering any assistance to the County.
I urge CSX to go back to the drawing board with Madison County officials and agree on a plan that will not close this bridge, detour traffic and congest the small Village of Canastota. A closure of this bridge would also be troublesome for your organization, as CSX would not be able to go ahead with its own planned railroad expansion. The funding and the plan Madison County has in place will restore the bridge to a safe and operable condition. I remain hopeful that CSX will allow this planned reconstruction to begin immediately.
Sincerely,
Charles E. Schumer
United States Senator
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