Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C,I-Batavia) is joining the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) in celebrating the re-opening of two local bridges that have been closed off to traffic for the better part of a year: the Telegraph Road Bridge over the Erie Canal, and the Bates Road Bridge, also over the Erie Canal. While there will still be some work to be done on both bridges, the NYSDOT has assured it will not affect traffic.

“The coordination and dedication of those workers to restore the bridges for modern traffic is both commendable and admirable,” Hawley said. “I am just as excited as the next person to finally have this construction done and have these roadways open to us again.”

The Telegraph Road Bridge has been closed since August 5, 2019 for steel repairs under D263668 – Rehabilitation of 7 Bridges over the Erie Canal in Orleans County. The Bates Road Bridge has been closed since November 8, 2019 for the same reason. The former will have minor final touches being completed by the construction crew, but traffic will be able to flow through; the latter will have open traffic flow but continue to have a construction crew presence in order to install sidewalk grating. Both bridges will be open to vehicular traffic by the end of the day on Saturday, June 27, 2020.