New LED lights line the median of Redfield Parkway, Batavia. Photo by Howard Owens.
Now, in addition to the colorful Christmas tree and holiday lights bedazzling streets such as on Redfield Parkway, folks can also observe the brighter, whiter LED lights that have replaced all former dingier yellow city lights as part of a city light replacement project.
The replacement was to be wrapping up soon, City Manager Rachael Tabelski said, as crews worked their way from both ends of the city, moving from Redfield Parkway east and Lehigh Avenue westward, until they met in the middle.
City Council approved the purchase of 948 street lights at a cost of $226,038, and future replacement of all National Grid street lights in the city. The nearly $1.7 million plan (Phase I) has an estimated savings of more than $161,000 annually.
What does LED mean? Light-emitting diode. So in this season of all things merry and bright, Batavia's city streets are trying to do their part.
For more complete story, first reported on The Batavian, go HERE.
An LED light on a light pole, also decorated for the holidays, in Downtown Batavia. Photo by Howard Owens.
A photo of Downtown Batavia in September 2019 that captures the orange glow of the former high-pressure sodium lamps that used to illuminate the city. The new LED lights produce a white light. Photo by Howard Owens.
A photo taken on Jackson Street, Batavia, in January 2015 of a bike rider also shows the orange glow of the former high-pressure sodium lamps that once illuminated the city. These lights were owned and replaced by National Grid. Photo by Howard Owens.
Work is progressing Monday on the Jackson Street waterline replacement project between Ellicott and Chestnut streets in the City of Batavia. Crews from Blue Heron Construction of Jordan are replacing approximately 2,250 linear feet of 4- and 6-inch water mains with 8-inch mains during the pre-winter project.
Blue Heron was the successful candidate for the job out of several bids. City Council awarded the company its bid of $1,353,000 during the city's Aug. 14 business meeting.
City and county officials, along with contractors, cut the ribbon on the new South Lyon Street Bridge in Batavia, in the same location as a ribbon-cutting in 1957 (photo below). Photo by Howard Owens.
The new bridge over Tonawanda Creek on South Lyon Street in Batavia looks beautiful, and it feels sturdy, but the thing motorists will like the most, perhaps, is that it accommodates two-way traffic.
"I want to remind people that it is, in fact, two lanes," said County Highway Superintendent Tim Hens. "You don't have to wait for a left turn left at the bridge. You don't have to wait for an oncoming car, nose and nose like used to happen on the old bridge. It's two lanes. It's just normal. Just go normal."
The new $2.9 million bridge, 95 percent funded by state and federal aid, replaces a bridge that had gotten so old it was no longer serviceable. That bridge was dedicated in 1957. There were substantial repairs in 1971, a deck replacement in 1980, a superstructure/truss replacement in 1986, and a decision to seek a replacement in 2007.
Now, in 2023, that old bridge is gone and completely replaced by a bridge that, as Hens noted, maintains the historical character of bridges that have been at the same location going back to 1910.
"I think the cool thing about this bridge is that we kind of recreated what was here with the truss," Hens said. "There was always a truss bridge here. I think everyone's pretty familiar with, obviously, making it two lanes is cool, but having the same character with the same-looking bridges, I also think is kind of neat."
The South Lyon Street Bridge opened this morning following a ribbon-cutting attended by both county and city officials.
The only real challenge in bridge construction, Hens said, was concern that crews might find historical artifacts, either Native American or related to the War of 1812.
"When Buffalo was burned to the ground by the British, a lot of the refugees and people that got displaced by (the fires) came to Batavia," Hens said. "There was like, I think, a typhoid outbreak, and they buried people in the creek bank, which is kind of an odd place to bury people. You're gonna contaminate the water, but that was years ago, and maybe they didn't know any better, but (the burial site is) somewhere here in the area of this bridge. We didn't find anything, so must not be that close."
Such a discovery could have greatly slowed the construction process.
This project was originally submitted for federal aid in 2007. The project was removed from the funding list in 2011, put back on in 2014 and delayed due to lack of funding until 2020.
The county awarded a contract for design during COVID and then had struggles with utility relocations, property acquisitions, DEC easements along the creek bank and other minor hurdles, according to a fact sheet released by the county.
The old bridge closed in 2021 after a DOT inspection. Construction started last fall and went through the winter, with the truss being set in late February.
Union Concrete out of West Seneca was the contractor, and Fisher Associates out of Rochester provided engineering and construction inspection.
A ribbon-cutting at the South Lyon Street Bridge in Batavia in 1957. Photo courtesy of the Genesee County History Department.
Two trusses are now in place over the Townawanda Creek in Batavia, where the South Lyon Street Bridge is being replaced.
The old steel bridge, an Army surplus span, was set in place in 1982 and was closed in August 2021 because it had become unsafe to cross in a vehicle.
County Legislators had already approved a $3 million bridge replacement project at the time it was closed. The cost of the new bridge is 80 percent covered by a federal grant with revenue from sales tax covering the remaining 20 percent.
The bridge replacement project began last September and consists of two 11-foot lanes with 2-foot shoulders and a 5-foot sidewalk on the east side of the truss.
Work for the South Lyon Street Bridge over the Tonawanda Creek project will resume Friday, March 17, 2023, as the work on the bridge had been paused due to seasonal weather conditions. A small portion of South Main Street in Batavia will be closed to traffic over the upcoming months. The area of closure and detour options for vehicular and pedestrian traffic are identified in the included graphic. Please adhere to pedestrian signage and stay outside of temporary safety barriers.
The bridge replacement project began last September and consists of two 11-foot lanes with 2-foot shoulders and a 5-foot sidewalk on the east side of the truss. The alignment of South Lyon Street will be modified to improve the intersection with South Main Street and approach work includes a seamless transition to the relocated intersection, existing roadway, and sidewalks.
The City of Batavia Water Department will be repairing a service line on Maple Street in the City of Batavia on Tuesday, Feb. 7. There is the potential the water may need to be shut off on Maple, from Evans Street to Thorpe Street.
The length of time the water would be off is unknown.
Traffic will also be closed down on Maple Street, from Evans Street to Thorpe Street while the repair is being made.
As always, when the water is restored, it may be discolored. Please refrain from doing any laundry until the water runs clear.
We apologize for any inconvenience and the public’s patience is greatly appreciated.
The City Batavia Water Department is working to repair a water main break on River Street. Water has been shut off Between West Main Street and South Main Street on River Street.
Traffic in the vicinity will be congested while crews access the break and make the repair. If possible, please use an alternative route when traveling through the City today.
Residents in other parts of the Batavia Water Plant Service Area may notice issues with water pressure. Residents in affected areas will be without water until the repair is made. The length of time the water will be off is unknown.
As always, when the water is restored, it may be discolored. Please refrain from doing any laundry until the water runs clear.
We apologize for any inconvenience, and the public’s patience is greatly appreciated.
UPDATE 3:30 p.m.: The water main break is repaired. Road work is continuing. Traffic remains congested in the area.
The City of Batavia Water Department is repairing a water main break on Richmond Ave. between Vernon Ave. and Woodrow Rd. Traffic in the vicinity remains closed while crews access the break and make the repair. Please use an alternative route when traveling through the City today.
Residents in other parts of the Batavia Water Plant Service Area may notice issues with water pressure. Residents in affected areas will be without water until the repair is made. The length of time the water will be off is unknown.
Due to the size of the break, all residents are asked to conserve water usage at this time, until the break is fixed.
As always, when the water is restored, it may be discolored. Please refrain from doing any laundry until the water runs clear.
We apologize for any inconvenience, and the public’s patience is greatly appreciated.
Genesee County owns and maintains all 350 or so culverts in all of the towns and villages in the county and every year, there are a few that need to be replaced.
After a few years of trying to secure funding, New York State has approved a $625,000 grant to replace a culvert on South Street Road just south of Exchange Street.
That's not only an inconvenience to residents in the area, but it's going to disrupt travel to Le Roy Sr./Jr. High School.
Laura Wadhams, assistant county engineer, presented the culvert replacement plans to the Le Roy Central School District Board of Education on Tuesday so they could have a better understanding of how and when the work will proceed and to begin the process of approval for the district to deed a tiny portion of land next to the culvert for an easement.
Construction will begin in June, just after the end of the school year, and should be completed in October.
The culvert being replaced is made of corrugated metal pipes and was installed in 1960. It won't last much longer -- meaning a possible collapse of the roadway -- and it is subject to clogging.
"We're going to realign the culvert slightly to make the stream do what water wants to do, so we don't try to force water to do something it doesn't want to do, because that doesn't end well for us," Wadhams said. "We're going to put it on a little bit of a skew, add new headwalls, and that'll actually help with a lot of the debris that gets caught up on the culvert."
The new cull will have a 10-foot span, a four-foot rise, and be 47 feet long, compared to 53 feet for the current culvert.
The county will need to acquire more land from the school district for the placement of protection measures. Wadhams said the county is asking that the district provide the land as a gift to the county, which is an item for a future school board agenda.
During construction, that area of South Street Road will be restricted to local traffic only, and access to the school will be available only from the south side.
The detour will take people down Asbury Road and Harris Road to connect with Route 5 and is approximately 4.9 miles long.
The City of Batavia Water Department along with Zoladz Construction will be replacing a broken water valve on Harvester Ave and fire hydrant on the corner of Harvester Ave and Ellicott Street. The water will be shut down on Harvester Ave from Colorado Ave to Ellicott Street, all of Colorado Ave, and on Ellicott Street from Ellicott Place to Clifton Ave.
The length of time the water will be off is unknown.
As always, when the water is restored, it may be discolored. Please refrain from doing any laundry until the water runs clear.
We apologize for any inconvenience and the public’s patience is greatly appreciated.
The City of Batavia Water Department will be repairing a 6-inch water main on South Main Street today. The water will have to be shut down on South Main Street from Roosevelt Ave to Brooklyn Ave.
The length of time the water will be off is unknown.
Traffic will be closed in the area of South Main Street, from Orleans Avenue to Brooklyn Avenue while the repairs are being made.
As always, when the water is restored, it may be discolored. Please refrain from doing any laundry until the water runs clear.
We apologize for any inconvenience and the public’s patience is greatly appreciated.
All motorists please be aware that Bank Street, Chandler Avenue and Ross Street will experience traffic delays on Sep. 26 and 27 and Oct. 3 and 4 between the hours of 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. for resurfacing operations.
While work is being performed in this area, local traffic will be permitted to and from their residence/property but should plan accordingly for delays.
All residents/businesses within the work area are asked not to park on the roadway during the operation.
This is weather dependent work; if work is postponed it shall progress the next workday.
Please contact the Bureau of Maintenance at (585) 345-6400 Option 1 if there are any questions.
Work for the replacement of the South Lyon Street Bridge over the Tonawanda Creek will begin Monday, September 26th. The bridge was closed in September of 2021 due to structural deficiencies that warranted a replacement. The existing bridge is a modernized version of a “Bailey Bridge” that was installed nearly forty years ago. A New York State Department of Transportation inspection revealed it did not meet the 3-ton minimum load requirement for vehicles to cross safely.
The project includes a new steel truss bridge that was built to meet current structural standards with increased service life and minimized maintenance costs. The bridge consists of two 11-foot lanes with 2- foot shoulders and a 5-foot sidewalk on the east side of the truss. The alignment of South Lyon Street will be modified to improve the intersection with South Main Street and approach work will include a seamless transition to the relocated intersection, existing roadway, and sidewalks.
A small portion of South Main Street will be closed to traffic beginning Monday, September 26th with detours clearly marked. The area of closure and the multiple options for vehicular and pedestrian traffic to avoid the area are visible in the included graphic. Current plans include closing this area of South Main Street during work in the fall, re-opening it to traffic in the winter, and then closing it back down in the spring to finish the bridge replacement work.
The City of Batavia Water Department along with Zoladz Construction will be repairing an emergency water main break on Harvester Ave. The water will be shut down on Harvester Ave from Colorado Ave to Ellicott Street.
The length of time the water will be off is unknown.
As always, when the water is restored, it may be discolored. Please refrain from doing any laundry until the water runs clear.
We apologize for any inconvenience and the public’s patience is greatly appreciated.
The City of Batavia Water Department will be shutting down the water main on State Street, from the Richmond Ave intersection to just South of Park Ave on Wednesday, August 17, 2002, for a water main valve cut in. Additionally, the water will be shut down on Oak St, from the Richmond Ave intersection, to just north of Pickthorn Drive in the 110 block of Oak St, for the abandonment of the 6” water main on Richmond Ave.
The length of time the water will be off is unknown.
As always, when the water is restored it may be discolored. Please refrain from doing any laundry until the water runs clear.
We apologize for any inconvenience and the public’s patience is greatly appreciated.
Due to a continuation of the Richmond Ave Water Project, the City of Batavia Water Department will be shutting down water mains in the areas of Oak Street, Prospect Ave and State Street starting on Tuesday, August 16, 2022. The specific street locations with possible water interruptions will be on Prospect Ave from Richmond Ave to Oak Street and on the West side of Oak Street from Prospect Ave to the Ellicott Ave and Main Street intersection. Additionally, State Street, from the Richmond Ave intersection to just South of Park Ave may also experience a water shutdown while a new water main valve is cut in on State Street.
The length of time the water will be off is unknown.
As always, when the water is restored it may be discolored. Please refrain from doing any laundry until the water runs clear.
We apologize for any inconvenience and the public’s patience is greatly appreciated.
The City of Batavia Water Department will be shutting down water mains in the area of Oak Street and Richmond Ave, on August 11, 2022, due to the Richmond Ave Water Line Project. The streets with possible water interruptions will be from, North of Richmond Ave on Oak Street, Richmond Ave from Oak Street to State Street, Verona Ave from Richmond Ave to Hillcrest Street, all of Buxton Ave, Genesee Street, and New York Place. Additionally, new water main valves will be installed on Prospect Ave and State St. During valve installations; water will be shut down on Prospect Ave from Richmond Ave to Oak Street and on the West side of Oak Street from Prospect Ave to Ellicott Ave and Main Street intersection, along with an area on State Street from the Richmond Ave intersection to just South of Park Ave.
The length of time the water will be off is unknown.
As always, when the water is restored, it may be discolored. Please refrain from doing any laundry until the water runs clear.
We apologize for any inconvenience and the public’s patience is greatly appreciated.
To the Residents and Property Owners of the following streets:
Seneca Avenue (Both sides of the street).
Miller Avenue (Both sides of the street).
Columbia Avenue (Both sides of the street).
Chase Park (Portion of South side of the street).
Fisher Park (Both sides of the street).
The properties in the above-listed areas will experience a sidewalk replacement project in the month of August. The work will involve sidewalk replacements as needed, curb ramp installation, and sidewalk passing zones (where there are four-foot walks). If the sidewalk replacements go through a driveway, the contractor (Master’s Edge) will provide the residents notice that they will not have driveway access for up to a week. This is so the sidewalks can set and cure to provide strength for vehicular traffic. During that time period, if you have lost driveway access, those residents are asked to park legally on the street. We have requested the Police Department to suspend the overnight parking ban for the impacted properties while this work is ongoing.
Work is scheduled to begin on August 1, 2022, on Columbia Avenue. Work will then move to the remaining streets involved in the project.
This is weather-dependent work, so some delays can be expected, but it is intended to be completed with this project by late September.
Contact the Department of Public Works and ask to speak to the Director at 585-345-6345 if you have any questions.
