Prospect Hill Road Bridge Reopens to Vehicular Traffic

SOUTHEAST, NY – Putnam County Executive MaryEllen Odell announced that MTA Metro-North Railroad has completed the replacement of the Prospect Hill Road Bridge in Southeast. The bridge, which had been closed for safety concerns in 2008, is now open for vehicular and pedestrian traffic.

“The reopening of the Prospect Hill Road Bridge represents the importance of investing in infrastructure, not only for our quality of life but for the safety and wellness of Putnam County residents, which has always been my administration’s top priority,” said County Executive MaryEllen Odell. “I am pleased that we can have partners such as the Metro North Railroad that share our values. I appreciate Metro North’s commitment to investing in its infrastructure in Putnam County.”

The 270-foot-long bridge, which was originally built in 1910, is located just south of the Southeast station; it carries Prospect Hill Road over the Harlem Line tracks and parts of Metro-North’s Brewster Yard. The bridge replacement cost Metro North approximately $9.45 million.

Metro-North President Catherine Rinaldi said, “The Prospect Hill Bridge has been a key component of the town’s infrastructure for over a century, and funds from the MTA’s Capital Program will help maintain it well into the future. We’re pleased that a new Prospect Hill Bridge is now a reality for Putnam residents.”

Legislators Joseph Castellano and Paul Jonke, who both represent the Prospect Hill community in Southeast, believe that residents are grateful to be able to use the new bridge.

“Having the bridge reopened after a decade brings renewed life into the community,” said Legislator Castellano, who is also the chairman of the Putnam County Legislature. “It also provides a much-needed secondary passageway from the Village of Brewster to Route 312, which could potentially alleviate some of the traffic on Route 6.”

Legislator Jonke agrees. “With the recent re-paving on Route 6 and Route 312, the new bridge on Prospect Hill Road caps off a series of incredible infrastructure projects that made  traveling through the Town of Southeast a lot easier.”

The bridge replacement process, which started in April 2017, involved the demolition and removal of the bridge truss superstructure, piers, top of the abutments and roadway approaches, as well as clearing trees, stumps and rubbish from the project area. Utility poles were removed and relocated to accommodate the structural work and the new bridge footprint; crews relocated utilities, including telephone, cable, electrical, communications, signals, and power.  The contractor then built new integral abutments, a center pier, roadway approaches, sidewalk, striping, signage, guide rails, fencing, retaining walls, embankments and drainage structures.

Photo Caption: The new Prospect Hill Road Bridge facing eastbound.