Updated 11/24/2009 05:56 AM
Transportation officials could implode bridge before lake freezes
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CROWN POINT, N.Y. -- Transportation officials say the Champlain Bridge could be dropped into the water with explosives before the winter weather comes.
The bridge connecting Crown Point, N.Y. and Addison, Vt. was shut down on Oct. 16 after engineers determined it was unsafe for drivers due to problems with the foundation.
Officials from New York and Vermont said the 80-year-old bridge cannot be renovated and must be replaced. They also said it could be too unstable to take apart piece by piece so "chances are good" that they will implode the bridge before the lake freezes over.
Vermont Transportation Agency spokesman John Zicconi said after the implosion, the pieces of the bridge would then be removed from the water for disposal.
Since the closure, officials from New York and Vermont have been scrambling to find alternative ways across the lake for the thousands of people who crossed the bridge daily. Construction has begun in Crown Point on an approach to a temporary ferry crossing that will help move people between the two states.
A toll-free hotline number for information about the bridge closure - 1-888-769-7243 - will remain open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Those calling from the 518 area code may dial 518-485-1159.
Visit www.lcbclosure.org for more information.