Emotions Flare At Bridge Meeting

PORT HENRY, N.Y. - WPTZ.com

Emotions ran high Wednesday night as people affected by the Champlain Bridge closure let New York DOT officials know just how upset they are, and how badly they want more solutions.

"It's almost three weeks now since everything has happened, and all the Department of Transportation is doing is jerking the people around in the North Country," said Moriah Center resident Mike Forand. "I was at the meeting in Addison yesterday, and listening to them, all they were doing was making excuses. People were throwing ideas at them and it wasn't doing any good."

DOT officials said they're listening, and trying to help with free ferries and buses, and possibly a temporary span bridge at some point.

Still, some people at the Port Henry meeting want somebody held accountable, and say the DOT should have seen the bridge failure coming.

"We were tracking it," said NY DOT Commissioner Stan Gee. "We were paying attention to this bridge, unlike what you might have heard."

DOT engineers say the reason they expect the need to close the bridge is that the concrete supports holding up the bridge starting eroding at a much faster rate than they had been.

"We understand and the governor understands the hardship this is creating," said Gee.

A Vermont business owner stepped up to the microphone and made an offer that he hopes would help ease that hardship.

He said he owns lakefront property across from Port Henry.

"Between me and my neighbor," said Vermont resident Dana Franklin, "we decided we would donate the use of our land if that was a feasible place to put a ferry landing."

Commuters say that would create a much-needed crossing, closer to the bridge, which would save them many miles of driving.

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