Public wants answers at bridge meeting

SPRINGVILLE, N.Y. (WIVB) - Business leaders near the closed Old Route 219 Bridge are hoping to get answers Tuesday as representatives of the state's Department of Transportation come to town.

They're hosting a public meeting set to start at 7 p.m. at Concord Town Hall in Springville. They'll be talking about plans to repair and reopen the bridge that was closed January 5th because of safety concerns. The department has said that it plans to get emergency repairs finished quickly so the bridge can be re-opened by April .

Business owners who are expected to be at the meeting have told News 4 about a drastic loss of business since the closure because of the long detour drivers have to take to get over Cattaraugus Creek.

Last month, Mike Beatty, of a McDonalds in Springville, said, “We kinda got a double whammy, as far as business owners. The bypass went by, we got hit, the bridge gets closed we get hit again. And I mean how many more punches can we take?”

Karen O’Hara, of Southtowns Route 219 Antiques said, “You know small businesses can't survive with out traffic. So we need to find a way to get the bridge opened safely, but at the same time quickly.”

For more information about the meeting, call Susan Surdej, the regional DOT public information officer, at (716) 847-3239.