I never thought that the day would come. The day when we would see action pertaining to the removal of the unsightly bridge that acts as the entranceway to the Elmwood Village. The bridge that connects the Albright-Knox and the Buffalo History Museum. The bridge that was once a beautiful and historic overpass that traversed Scajaquada Creek.
Just the other day I crossed this bridge, thinking about what this might one day look like… instead of the ugly monstrosity that we are left with presently. It was two years ago when I wrote about what it would mean to Buffalo to one day see this bridge replaced with something that we could all be proud of (see post).
On Wednesday, June 18, 2014, the NYS Department of Transportation (DOT) will be hosting a meeting to discuss the replacement of this bridge. Hopefully, with enough community participation, we can come up with something that will pay tribute to Olmsted, the galleries and museums, the Buffalo State College Campus, the creek and Elmwood Avenue. If this bridge were to be replaced with an aesthetically pleasing design, it would change the face of this district, and would act as a real connector between Amherst Street and the Elmwood Village.
With the downgrading of the expressway, this is an opportune time to come to grips with the reclamation of our historic heritage. The project includes the stretch of road between Iroquois Drive and Nottingham Terrace, and will take into consideration improvements for cyclists and pedestrians.
This is a public meeting. Let’s hope that there is ample representation from Olmsted, the Albright-Knox and the Buffalo History Museum.
Following are all of the details:
The New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) will host a public meeting on Wednesday, June 18, 2014 to discuss a proposed replacement of the Elmwood Avenue Bridge over NY Route 198, the Scajaquada Expressway, and Scajaquada Creek in the city of Buffalo, Erie County.
The information session will run from 4 p.m. until 7 p.m. at Buffalo State College in the Bulger Communications Center, located at 1300 Elmwood Avenue in the city of Buffalo. The meeting will include informational displays. Department representatives will be present to receive comments and answer individual questions.
Bicycle and pedestrian facilities will be improved by widening the sidewalk across the bridge, maintaining a wider shoulder on Elmwood Avenue and improving the intersection of Elmwood Avenue with Nottingham Terrace.
The purpose of the meeting is to obtain comments on the transportation alternatives being studied from individuals, groups, officials and local agencies.
For further information, or to request a sign language interpreter or assistive listening system, please contact Norm Duennebacke, regional structures engineer, at (716) 847-3204, or write to the New York State Department of Transportation, 100 Seneca Street, Buffalo, New York 14203, and reference Project Identification Number 5470.30.