The Veterans Memorial Bridge is down to two lanes of traffic because of a $78 million dollar, three-year repair project, Monday afternoon. Photo by Mike Smoker

New York state Department of Transportation officials have confirmed they are “re-evaluating” plans regarding a major construction project of the Interstate 86 bridge that crosses Chautauqua Lake.

Concerns began to arise over the project in recent weeks with the plan that called for a complete removal of two south lanes of the structure. Some members of the engineering team said the plan for complete removal from one side of the structure would create an uneven and unbalanced distribution of weight that could create an unbalanced load for the structure leading to its destruction.

A letter received by The Post-Journal detailed one engineer’s position that much of the concrete barrier on the bridge’s south side has been removed while the north side of the bridge has seen additional concrete “Jersey” barriers added, creating an unbalanced load distribution between the two ends of the bridge. Concerns, according to the letter, have been raised by engineers on the project over the past couple of weeks.

In an email communication Friday, a DOT spokeswoman confirmed the issue has led to a reconsideration in the work. “Safety is always the top priority for the New York State Department of Transportation and, out of an abundance of caution, the Department is re-evaluating plans for the removal of concrete from the bridges carrying Interstate 86 over Chautauqua Lake,” said Susan Surdej, Western New York regional public information officer. “The bridge is safe for motorists and NYSDOT will keep the public apprised on any changes in the construction schedule.”

The $78 million project that began last month will reconstruct the 4,000-foot main bridge that was completed in 1982 as well as the two 500-foot-long bridge structures that split off on the eastern end of the main bridge. The fourth bridge structure that carries the westbound Southern Tier Expressway ramps to Route 430 will also be resurfaced and receive new bridge joints.

Work on the project will progress over four construction seasons, with initial work focusing on the creation of crossover lanes to move traffic during future project phases. One lane of traffic in each direction of I-86 will be maintained throughout the bulk of the project, however, motorists should be prepared for some overnight closures of the highway in 2024 and 2025 to facilitate the pouring of the new bridge decks.

During this time, nighttime traffic will be accommodated using off-site detours. The project is expected to be completed in the fall of 2026.

Managing editor John Whittaker contributed to this article.