On Thursday, Jan. 19, Deputy Mayor Hartman, DPW Superintendent Soules, WWTP Superintendent Horton and I met with Senator Fred Akshar to tour the Village’s Waste Water Treatment Plant (WWTP and also known as the sewer plant) to discuss funding opportunities for the replacement of the steel tunnel access to the WWTP and the needed renovations to the WWTP Digesters. The current steel tunnel crosses entirely under the NYS Route 17 / 86 highway system and provides the sole maintenance and personnel access to the WWTP.
From previous discussions, you already know the WWTP digesters are nearing their functional end of life and need serious repairs. The front-end costs to design, budget, and develop construction schedules for the replacement / upgrade of the digesters may be covered under a current grant for upgrading the WWTP systems that is nearing full completion. The details around utilizing the existing grant for these front-end actions are being worked on. However, the approximate $9 million in funding for the actual replacement / upgrade of the digester is not secured yet and is part of the reason for the discussion on Thursday with Senator Akshar.
The existing steel tunnel is actually a multi-plate galvanized steel arch, constructed in 1967, of preformed individual steel plates that are bolted together to form the rigid integrated floor, curved walls, and arched ceiling system of the tunnel with full length linear concrete thrust blocks along its spring lines to resist compression forces from the highway loading above. In reality, it is a large culvert / sluice pipe that is dedicated for use primarily by people and small service vehicles. As noted, the arch’s steel components have a galvanized coating which helps protect, but does not fully eliminate the steel from corrosion attacks thereby extending the steel’s life span. It is not likely the current steel tunnel system has a cathodic protection system to further mitigate corrosion attacks, but cathodic protection systems also degrade over time.
The tunnel brings several immediate issues for the Village with the most prominent being: 1) the tunnel has again been Yellow Flagged by the NYSDOT Bridge Flagging Inspections because of severe full depth corrosion along its lower walls and floor systems. Under the 2011 NYS Bridge Inspections: “Inspection Flagging Procedures For Bridges”, a Yellow Flagging denotes “clear and present danger before next scheduled biennial inspection….”; b) the current tunnel prohibits fire fighting vehicles, with limited clearances for EMS vehicles, to get into the WWTP in the event of a fire, hazmat issue or medical event.
The tunnel will have to be replaced in the not too distant future. Preferably with standard NYSDOT bridge system in the east and west bound lanes of the NYS Route 17 / 86 highway. Bridges, or even a new tunnel, are not cheap items to accomplish. “So what,” you may be tempted to ask. “It is a NYSDOT problem, right?” Unfortunately it is not. It is the Village’s problem.
In 1967, when NYS was building the new route 17 corridor, the Village’s WWTP became inaccessible, isolated. The State agreed to construct a tunnel under the new highway system for access to the WWTP, but the Village administration at that time acquiesced to the State that maintenance and future replacement of the tunnel was to remain with the Village. Not cheap to accomplish. Hence, another reason to meet with Senator Akshar and look for funding assistance to get the tunnel replaced with NYSDOT bridges that will remain with NYS for maintenance and upkeep.
In closing, as the Village gets closer to having its delinquent NYS Audits completed and filed we are optimistically hopeful in our pursuit for NYS assistance on the digesters and turning the existing steel tunnel into fully owned NYS bridges. Taxpayer letters to Senator Akshar in support of funding for these needed and vital functions is always helpful.
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