Bridge closure will cause headaches for town

SHARON — It’s not a big bridge, but when it closes down this spring and summer for repairs, it’s likely to cause big headaches for town officials, town residents and emergency services volunteers.

The bridge connects Sharon and Amenia and is on Dutchess County  Route 2 (the Leedsville Road).

Amenia Town Supervisor Wayne Euvrard announced that the bridge will be shut down for repairs during the spring and possibly most of the summer.

While the towns have talked about repairing or replacing the bridge for quite some time, the scheduled shutdown of the bridge came as news to Sharon First Selectman Bob Loucks.

“For years, they have told us that this may happen, but no one [in Amenia] told us about shutting the bridge down this year,� Loucks said. “We never got a word about it at all. I’m sure this is going to be tough for emergency vehicles.�

Loucks said that it is possible that, once the bridge is shut down, a private land owner along Route 2 will allow emergency vehicles to pass through that land so they can get to and from, for example, properties on Knibloe Hill Road.

Loucks would not reveal who the landowner is, nor would Sharon Volunteer Fire Department Chief Scott Schreiber, who said he also was not notified about the bridge being shut down.

“This is a strange situation,� Schreiber said. “It will be a hindrance to emergency vehicles, but we will get by with some help from Kent and Wassaic fire departments.�

Schreiber said it is possible that emergency vehicles could take West Woods Road No. 1 or West Woods Road No. 2 as alternative routes, although there might be some problems with that idea because both are dirt roads.

“I would prefer West Woods Road No. 2 as a route,� Schreiber said. “It’s a lot straighter and it’s not as windy as West Woods Road No. 1. Hopefully it won’t be too long of a closure. But it will probably be a pain for folks who live in places like Knibloe Hill Road who will have to go all the way around Route 22 or through West Woods Road No. 1 or No. 2 just to get into town.�

When asked if Lambert Road could be reopened, Loucks said that work on the road wouldn’t be completed in time for it to serve as an alternate route.

Also potentially feeling the pain will be business owners whose customers from the Amenia area will have to travel alternate routes to get to Sharon.

Michael Berkeley, artistic director for TriArts Sharon Playhouse at 49 Amenia Road, said he hopes the bridge closure does not discourage travel to the theater.

“I hope that loyal patrons will find a way to come over to see what we’re doing,� Berkeley said. “Theater is all about overcoming challenges.�

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