RED HOUSE — Plans to replace a long-closed bridge in Cattaraugus County appear finally to be moving forward.

In the last couple of weeks, the New York State Department of Transportation has announced its updated timeline for the project. At an estimated cost of about $15 million, the state is looking to replace the Red House Bridge over the Allegheny River as well as rehabilitate more than 5 miles of Old Route 17.

In its notice for a public information meeting held Oct. 26 in Salamanca, the state DOT noted the “purpose of the project is to rehabilitate Old State Route 17 as a rural, seasonal road and provide a river crossing.”

The road and bridge have been closed to traffic since the mid-1980s, the state DOT said.

Located in the Seneca Nation of Indians territory, efforts to construct a new bridge have been in the works for more than a decade.

The bridge’s condition most recently has been highlighted following the death of 47-year-old Patricia John. The Cattaraugus County woman was walking hand-in-hand with another person on the bridge around 1 a.m. on March 30, 2012, when both fell through a large hole in the deck. The other individual, Kenneth Van Aernam, survived the 25-foot fall.

John’s survivors filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the state. After years of litigation, the suit was settled prior to trial in September 2018.

Seneca Nation President Matthew Pagels said the bridge’s replacement has been long overdue.

“We saw a terrible tragedy followed by a decade of inaction,” Pagels told The Post-Journal in a statement. “It’s beyond time for this bridge replacement. Whatever the reasons for the years of delay, this project — and the safety of our people — needs to be a priority moving forward. Our community cannot live in fear and danger of another tragedy.”

Overall construction, the state DOT said, is expected to begin in the summer of 2023 and be completed by the end of 2025.

For Old Route 17, rehabilitation is slated between Bunker Hill Road and Breed Run Road.

“The road will be stabilized, and drainage ditches will be reestablished,” the project overview states. “Culverts within the project limits will be rehabilitated or replaced. A stone gabion wall will be installed to protect the roadway where needed.”

As for the bridge, the state DOT said the new concrete structure will be wider than the current bridge with “room for a travel lane and shoulder in each direction.” A sidewalk is planned for the south side of the new bridge for pedestrian access.

“Recreational access will be provided on the north side of the bridge,” the state DOT said. “The new bridge will include proposed aesthetic treatments, which will be finalized later in the design process.”

The project, the state said, will provide a “safe, modern bridge with an expected life of approximately 75 years that will allow the road to reopen seasonally. It will also restore the road’s riding surface to good condition and improve readability by bringing the road up to current design standards using cost-effective treatments.

“The road is expected to last in good condition for at least eight years, with future maintenance costs expected to be low.”