No stopping this parade – bridge to remain open

By Fred Stabbert III
CALLICOON – June 1, 2010 — One of the main arteries to the Main Street Callicoon business district will remain open despite its age and a few “red flags.”
The Callicoon Creek bridge, which connects Viaduct Rd. and Main Street, has stood the test of time for nearly 50 years.
Many local business owners were concerned that a recent New York State DOT inspection might have doomed the bridge, which last year saw its sidewalk closed to pedestrian traffic.
But the two-lane concrete and steel structure will remain open and operable, according to the Sullivan County Department of Public Works (DPW).
“Following the NYSDOT’s annual inspection a few more red flags came up,” DPW Deputy Commissioner Ed McAndrew said Friday. “Right now I’m not anticipating having to close the bridge.
“We may need to barricade the upstream inside of the railing,” he said. “But the bridge will remain open to two-lane traffic – we will still have over 18 feet of [deck] width.”
McAndrew, who oversees the DPW’s engineering, said that several county bridge engineers would also be making an assessment of the bridge.
“It has some age, but it is included in our five-year program,” he said. “For now, we have it slated for replacement.”
Members of the Callicoon community were ecstatic with the news, especially members of the Delaware Community Center, which sits on the other side of the Callicoon Creek from Callicoon.
With the famous Callicoon Tractor Parade happening Sunday, June 13, officials were worried that the traditional parade route would not be available and some serious re-routing would be needed. As of Friday, they were planning to use the bridge, its two lanes of traffic and keep the Callicoon Tractor Parade route the same.