NYS&W to remove 17 additional concrete sections in Syracuse railway-bridge repair

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — On the advice of its consulting engineers, the New York Susquehanna & Western Railway (NYS&W) will have a contractor remove the remaining 17 concrete sections called fascia from the railway bridge above South Clinton Street in Syracuse.

NYS&W’s “best estimate” is that the work to remove the fascia will continue at least through this Sunday, the railway company said in a news release issued Tuesday.

The repair work follows the collapse of a concrete section from the railroad bridge on to South Clinton Street on July 5.

“We are aware of the railroad’s plan to remove remaining concrete sidewalls on the railroad viaduct and will continue to keep S. Clinton St. closed until that work is completed,” Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh said in a statement issued Tuesday afternoon.

Crews will use a crane to remove the sections, the NYS&W said.

The preliminary work was expected to begin Tuesday, and the company expects the crane to arrive on Wednesday.

“These fascia sections are not load bearing and serve a mainly decorative purpose but also prevent the railroad ballast (stone) from falling from the elevated structure,” the NYS&W said.

The railroad currently expects crews to remove the fascia sections north of West Onondaga St. first, followed by the sections south of West Onondaga St. The scope of that work is “subject to input from public authorities,” NYS&W said.

The work will require the closure of West Onondaga when work is done on the area south of that street.

At the same time, consulting engineers are conducting “further” inspections of NYS&W’s other bridge structures in the city of Syracuse, and the railway company expects completion “this week.”

“The railroad has told the city that the prior inspection reports requested by the city are being prepared for release and should be received soon. We will be monitoring that closely,” Walsh added in his Tuesday statement.

Train traffic will resume when NYS&W’s consulting engineers “determine appropriate.” In the meantime, the railroad said it is working with its interchange connections, CSX Transportation, Inc. and Norfolk South Railway to re-route and detour railcar traffic to “minimize disruption” of rail service to its customers.

Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com