Where’s the view?
Some decry Gateway’s solid wall; eastern side of bridge to get railing
BY KELLY DE LA ROCHA Gazette Reporter
   The view-obstructing concrete wall erected on the western side of the Western Gateway Bridge won’t be duplicated on the eastern side, according to the state Department of Transportation.
   Instead, the side of the bridge that faces Jumpin’ Jack’s and the Stockade will feature a railing that will allow travelers glimpses of the Mohawk River.
   Public complaints were widely voiced when the solid, gray wall SCHENECTADY & SCOTIA went up on the bridge that connects Scotia and Schenectady.
   DOT Spokesman Bryan Viggiani said the decision to allow the railing on the eastern side was made because there will be a multi-use trail on that side of the bridge. The railing will provide nice views for bicyclists and pedestrians, he explained.
   The wall erected on the side of the bridge that faces Glen Sanders Mansion will not be replaced with a railing, he said.
   The bridge renovation project began in October and since then the wall has been built and the two lanes that bring vehicles from Scotia to Schenectady have been replaced. The two lanes that motorists use to travel from Schenectady to Scotia are now under construction.
   Scotia Mayor Kris Kastberg said he has heard from several people who are unhappy about the viewbusting wall on the bridge. “A lot of people want to know who made the decision to build the bridge that way and put that solid wall up, and the truth of that is it’s a design-build bridge, which means the contractor builds it the way he thinks it should be built.”
   The aim of the design-build method is to save time and money and shorten travel inconveniences, according to an October 2012 news release from Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s offi ce, which detailed the bridge project.
   Kastberg said he thought having a wall on one side of the bridge and a railing on the other would be “kind of weird,” but was pleased that travelers will be treated to a view of Freedom Park, the river and the U.S. Waterski Show Team, which practices near Jumpin’ Jack’s during the summer.
   Glenville town Supervisor Chris Koetzle said he has heard complaints about the bridge’s solid wall, but praise for it as well from people who said they believe motorists should keep their eyes on the road, not the river.
   Koetzle said he is personally not a fan of the wall, and is pleased that half of the view previously available from the bridge will be salvaged.
   “I think it’s great from a business point of view, too, for Jumpin’ Jack’s to be visible coming over the bridge,” he noted.
   Liza McErlean of Glenville, who regularly crosses the bridge, said she would prefer to have the railing on the other side.
   “I don’t think Jumpin’ Jack’s is the most beautiful sight,” she explained. “In the winter, I really enjoy watching the ice jams and where we are in a melt, and I can’t see it. I can’t see the boats. I can’t see the birds. The river is one of our most beautiful things and we can’t see it.”
   Christine Dixon of Glenville, who also makes regular use of the bridge, said she thinks the new design should provide as much of a view as possible.
   “It’s a bridge. How much more metaphorical can it be for connecting and bringing things together? So it should be open and it should be visual,” she said.
   The bridge renovation project is on schedule and on budget, according to Viggiani, who said work should be completed by the end of the year.
   Crews are replacing bearings and putting in the forms that will hold up the new deck on the side of the bridge that brings motorists from Schenectady to Scotia. Next, they will tie in the rebar and pour the concrete.
   When complete, the bridge will include one 11-foot travel lane in each direction and a 14-foot shareduse lane in each direction to accommodate motorists and bicyclists. The west side of the bridge will feature a 5-foot sidewalk, while the east side will have a 10-foot multi-use path for pedestrians and bicyclists.
   Both the sidewalk and the multiuse path will be separated from the roadway by a 6-inch granite curb. The multi-use path will connect to existing paths on both sides of the river.

Notice Schenectady doesn't speak up for its residents. It is absolutely false that we couldn't have had an attractive bridge AND saved money, here is what happens when you let Emperor Cuomo show how much smarter he is than the engineers who do these things for a living. Do you believe that there are people who CALLED to say they like the solid wall, for SAFETY? BS. They would be the same people who bring their leftover prescription drugs to those drop boxes at police stations, if they exist.
The taxpayer paid bridge went from beautiful to okay to ugly as sin, thanks to the damn politicians. These people discussing which side would be better for a rail, how about BOTH sides? My God, they have us all trained.

Quoted from Madam X

Do you believe that there are people who CALLED to say they like the solid wall, for SAFETY?  

I have already seen kids sitting on the solid wall.

Just a matter of time before someone tries to skateboard across the top of it.

OMG I never thought of that. I had naturally assumed that wall was a temporary barricade. Now they'll probably put up some jail-like obstruction atop the wall, and that will ensnare birds, and people will write letters to the paper supporting safety over birds....
btw, slightly off topic, but Collins Lake is smelly and gross without the geese.

The top of the wall is flat and wide enough to walk on.

But being next to a college, that shouldn't be an issue.

The bridge is a STATE bridge and NOT a city bridge.  Furthermore, MOST of the bridge is NOT even in the city.  It is mostly in the Towns of Rotterdam and Glenville.  All of the design decisions were made by the state.

It is indeed, a state bridge.
Otherwise the prime contractor would have been Galesea, cost ten times more, and the bridge would be renamed "The Neal Golub Price Chopper Bridge To Savings".

I'm fine as long as I can stand on the bridge for the fireworks and have them explode 10 feet from my face....

Quoted from A Better Rotterdam

I'm fine as long as I can stand on the bridge for the fireworks and have them explode 10 feet from my face....

You haven't LIVED until you've seen the Empire State Plaza, 4th of July fireworks show from the 30th story of the Corning Tower.
I know people that guard, and clean the place.
It wasn't a party, but a rare privilege, and even a single gum wrapper left behind would be a bad thing.

It was surreal.
You were actually IN the middle of the show.
The bursts were 30 feet in front of you, and you were in the center of the burst.

That was a decade ago, and I'm still jaded because NO fireworks show I've ever seen could match it, including Macys NYC, the Brooklyn Bridge Centennial, and Washington D.C. 1976.

that bridge has been rebuilt HOW many times????      POS

Quoted from exit3

that bridge has been rebuilt HOW many times????      POS

This is the first time that THIS bridge has had its deck replaced since it was built in the 1970's.  

But this is the 4th Western Gateway Bridge.  The first being the wooden bridge built in 1809.

thank you for the troll history lesson.


a wealth of information

I know damn well it is a state bridge. Schenectadians use the bridge all the time, but not a peep from our leaders about the uglification of the WESTERN GATEWAY to our city. Not looking out for our interests, these people who call themselves "planners". Evidently the view was too good for us.
Do you think the state will give us funds for the constant graffiti removal, or will we just have to live with it? Just what we needed, an instant eyesore.

Anyone remember the OLD Western Gateway Bridge with the sharp turn at the Schdy side?

I drove that bridge often and watched it crumble as I drove!  

Quoted from Box A Rox

Anyone remember the OLD Western Gateway Bridge with the sharp turn at the Schdy side?

I drove that bridge often and watched it crumble as I drove!  

I remember when they were almost done with new gateway bridge.. The decking wasn't done on the scotia side and some nimrod who moved out of the area and was back for a visit got plastered and tried to drive over the new bridge... He managed not to go in the Mohawk but skidded some 50 feet on the girders before he came to a stop