Sound Shore

New Rochelle residents are facing a headache as they cope with the closure of the bridge carrying Centre Avenue over I-95.

Work on the bridge, which is in need of repair, began last week and is expected to last about a month. Construction crews had hoped to keep one lane of traffic open, but a minor collision that did not result in any injuries prompted officials to close the bridge completely.

Drivers seeking access to Grove and Centre avenues are asked to use Webster Avenue or the Division Street Memorial Avenue bridges instead.

That headache, however, pales in comparison to the migraine looming in the not-too-distant future.

The North Avenue span over I-95 needs to be replaced, meaning a key section of one of the busiest roads in New Rochelle, a stretch intersecting Garden Street and leading thousands of commuters a day to the train station, will be torn apart.

As City Manager Charles Strome III put it in a Monday morning meeting, “It’s actually an enormous project.”

First, the New York State Thruway Authority, which is overseeing the project, must relocate utility lines to a secondary pedestrian bridge that’s already finished and awaiting the work.

R.W. Groneman, a Thruway Authority spokesman, said bids for that phase of the project will be opened Aug. 24, and the contract will be awarded after a 45-day review period. He said the utility relocation project is expected to begin late this year, but would not say when it might be completed.

Then comes the main project: the replacement of the bridge. Groneman wouldn’t speculate as to when that work could begin.

Citing the vagueness of the Thruway Authority’s plans, New Rochelle Communications Manager Kathy Gilwit said it’s too early for residents to worry about how the work could affect their daily commutes.

Still, she sought to downplay fears that the project would bring chaos to an already busy part of town.

“The city is working closely with the Thruway Authority to make sure the public will be informed well in advance of any traffic disruptions,” she said. “Any solutions will be considered.”

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