Kingston, NY – Ulster County Executive Mike Hein and his Planning and Public Works staff met with nearly two dozen local stakeholders in New Paltz yesterday to discuss the planned replacement of the Carmine Liberta Memorial Bridge spanning the Wallkill River at the end of Main Street in New Paltz. During his State of the County address earlier this year, the County Executive discussed his aggressive plan to rebuild much of Ulster County’s infrastructure as well as to overhaul how the County addresses major bridge projects. The County Executive’s new model: 1) greatly expands community involvement; 2) enhances pedestrian protection; and 3) places a temporary parallel bridge to avoid any disruptive traffic closures that would negatively impact residents, visitors or the economy on high volume bridges with limited detour options.
As part of his effort to deliver the best possible outcome and maximize local input into the Carmine Liberta Memorial Bridge replacement project, Executive Hein met with members of the Community Advisory Committee (CAC), which his Administration recently formed, to seek input and recommendations for the new structure. The Committee discussed bridge design alternatives, temporary bridge alignment, possible traffic concerns, the ambitious project timeline, and pedestrian and bicycle accommodations, including a possible separate bicycle and pedestrian bridge. The County Executive highlighted that the County will continue to work to improve its roads and bridges for pedestrians and bicyclists while ensuring that they also meet the increased traffic demands in areas like New Paltz.
County Executive Hein noted during the meeting, “The County has made an historic commitment to preserving its transportation system in a manner that meets the needs of our County for generations to come. It is important to highlight that our ability to invest in infrastructure today is a direct dividend to our citizens of our fiscal responsibility since taking office. As we continue to build a better Ulster County, we greatly appreciate the contribution of the CAC in helping to ensure that the replacement of the Carmine Liberta Memorial Bridge becomes a successful new model for community input into key infrastructure projects and benefits all our residents and businesses. And in the end, it is my great hope that the new bridge design will allow everyone to better enjoy the iconic view of the mountains for generations to come.”
Pictured Below: County Executive Hein with Staff, CAC members and Stakeholders in New Paltz
