Now that winter is about over, construction activities have returned at the I-86 Chautauqua Lake Bridge.

As we begin a new construction season on the bridge, “kudos” should be given to the state DOT for getting us through the winter without major incident.

At the beginning of the winter, concern was expressed about snow removal on the now-narrowed two open lanes of the bridge. Yet, the DOT did its job. The snow removal during this very harsh winter was successful. Narrower plows were used to plow the snow, and, of course, a lot of salt had to be applied to keep the two lanes open and safe. There were no major accidents that I know of, and traffic generally moved slowly and smoothly over the bridge.

Now that the weather has broken, construction crews are back, special concrete is being poured to encapsulate and protect sections where the girders meet, and demolition has begun on the bridge decking on the southeast side near the shore at Bemus.

What we don’t know is what will be the ultimate plan for the total removal and replacement of the bridge deck. Last year, concrete removal on the southwest side of the bridge was discontinued so that further evaluation could be done as to the best way to complete demolition of the old bridge deck during reconstruction.

There was some engineering concern expressed as to possible imbalance/torque issues as weight was lessened by the removal of the concrete decking.

We have not heard from the DOT, but it appears from recent activity that the plan must be to pour new decking after the old sections are removed so that construction vehicles and crews will have access and a platform to work from as bridge reconstruction moves along.

We do know at this point that new bearings have been installed under most of the girders on the south side of the bridge, though not, apparently, on the arched center section.

As to the request of the Village of Bemus Point to have a study conducted on the feasibility of including a walkway/bikeway as part of the project, nothing has been heard.

Motorists, for the most part, have been diligent in slowing down and observing the yield signs on the entrance ramps in Bemus and Stow. I have also heard that a lot of speeding tickets have been issued for those exceeding the 40-mph limit. Slowing down is critical in ensuring that entering traffic does not collide with through traffic at either end of the bridge.

It would be helpful if the DOT held regular updates on the bridge’s reconstruction. Such periodic updates would be welcomed by the traveling public, especially by those who live near the bridge and use it on a daily basis. (Which, by inference and disclaimer, I must admit, includes myself.) In the meantime, we have to draw our own conclusions primarily from what we can observe.

Rolland Kidder is a Stow resident.