One would think that with a $78 million reconstruction job going on with the only bridge that spans Chautauqua Lake, that there would be a lot of official communication going on relative to it. Yet, I have seen very little news lately about it.

A local official did hear back from a DOT engineer that the state was going ahead with removing concrete from the bridge, and that they were continuing to evaluate the best and safest means of doing so.

An Erie, Pa. newspaper also reported on May 30th that the DOT had restated what we already knew that the “bridges carrying I-86 over Chautauqua Lake are 100% safe for motorists. Out of an abundance of caution, the Department is re-evaluating plans for the safest, most efficient removal of concrete from the bridges….”

So, that’s it…as far as I know, of any official statements as to what is going on.

One thing that has concerned me a bit is signage as you approach the bridge. I thought you would have seen a big sign like: “Wide loads must exit here, narrow bridge ahead!” Probably the big haulers of wide loads have been notified electronically of this. But, what about a local guy without a GPS who just assumes things are okay, until he starts hauling his wide load over the bridge?

To be honest, recently, during the hot weather, I have felt sorry for the workers on the bridge. They seem to have little shelter from the elements and not all of them can work from an air-conditioned cab of some kind. Concrete can get hot, and it must be cooking out there.

I also noticed one day that a large, steel rigging had been suspended over one end of the girders where the concrete has been removed. This rig, as I understand it, is used in lifting the girders so that new bearings can be put in place. Hopefully, that is all going as planned.

The Town of North Harmony, on the west side of the bridge, has expressed concerns that the increased traffic on Route 394 during the summer and through the Chautauqua Season, could cause left turn problems as you try to turn left when coming off the I-86 exits. Suggestions were made that the state DOT should consider traffic lights in these areas to safeguard against that and, also, to keep traffic from backing up onto the expressway when things get busy.

As far as I know, the DOT has not responded to these concerns…so, by implication, I guess, they don’t view it as a potential problem.

A local resident, this past week, also asked me how things were coming with the possibility of adding a walkway/bikeway connection over the bridge during the reconstruction. Again, the DOT has said nothing official except that it is not in the current contract…something we have known from the beginning.

I know that some may think that I am being a “broken record” on this matter. One of my weaknesses is that sometimes I can, like the pestering dog, get a “pantleg in my teeth” and not want to let it go. But, in defense of myself, I believe that this bridge has been of great benefit to Chautauqua County, and it would be an even greater benefit to the public if a structure could be joined to it so that people could walk and bike over it. If it can happen over the Hudson River, why can’t it be done here?

Rolland Kidder is a Stow resident.