Project to remove Morristown bridge complete

MORRISTOWN, New York (WWNY) - The Northumberland Street Bridge in Morristown is gone.

After over a year, a $2.1 million project to remove the bridge was officially completed in a ceremony Tuesday morning.

The bridge was closed in 2019 after flooding on the St. Lawrence River damaged its foundation and rendered it unsafe.

The project was part of New York state’s Resiliency and Economic Development Initiative (REDI) that was started after flooding in 2017 and 2019 caused major damage along the river and Lake Ontario. It’s designed to increase shoreline resilience and bolster economic development.

Starting in July of 2021, St. Lawrence County crews removed the bridge and moved water and sewer lines that it carried across Morristown Bay to underneath the bay.

Removing the bridge means the county doesn’t need to pay for costly repairs and upkeep.

It could allow for more boat traffic along the waterway, increasing both tourism and economic development.