Watch different aerial angles of the bridge opening while area residents talk about what the draw to the bridge is. Tina MacIntyre-Yee/Max Schulte
To have or not have year-round access over or around the Irondequoit Bay outlet, that is the question.
A feasibility study was completed by consultant Fisher Associates and presented to members of the Irondequoit and Webster community, leaving options in the hands of elected officials.
Residents asked questions and provided comments for over an hour Thursday night; questions were answered by Fisher Associates, a Rochester-based firm.
What you need to know
Question. Why was it done?
Answer. The study was done in order to have an objective assessment that "uses a good scoring criteria" to rate each alternative, Irondequoit Town Supervisor David Seeley said. "The end goal is to provide 12-month access across the bay outlet, because it just doesn't make sense for seven months out of the year to sever these two communities," Seeley added.
Q. What did the feasibility study do?
A. The study applied criteria, data and engineering to determine the best option for the Irondequoit Bay Outlet Bridge. The study had 11 categories of criteria, based upon cost, impact and access that were scored. The town of Irondequoit sought out the study — funded by a grant through the Genesee Transportation Council.
Q. How long did it take?
A. The study began in April 2017, and Thursday's meeting at Irondequoit Town Hall was the last public meeting concerning it. A written report will be finished and provided to the stakeholders.
Q. What did the study find?
A. Out of nine development alternatives, four were eliminated quickly. The final five were scored.
The two best alternatives, according to the study, were retrofitting the current swing bridge or creating a new lift bridge.
However, those alternatives weren't overwhelmingly cheered.
Both bridge options would have a cycle, open and close, leaving boats and vehicles in queue (a traffic line, waiting for their turn).
Q. When the bridge is in position, what about boats?
A. The boats will have their turn. Unlike vehicles, the amount of time a boat would wait was not accounted for in the study due to the unpredictability.
Q. How long would vehicles wait?
A. The total opening time is about seven minutes, then approximately two minutes to clear a vehicle in queue over the bridge.
Q. With traffic stopped in front of homes and businesses, what if there is an emergency?
A. Feasibility studies take into account regular patterns, rather than emergency situations.
Q. If the bridge is down for vehicles and a storm rolls in, what happens to boats seeking the safe harbor?
A. The bridge would have protocol for emergencies and storms. More than likely, boats would have priority over vehicles.
Q. "What's the Coast Guard going to say?" Webster Town Supervisor Ron Nesbitt asked.
A. The U.S. Coast Guard will have a role in final bridge plans. According to Fisher Associates, the Coast Guard participated in the feasibility study and advised that bridge clearance would need to be 75 feet.
Q. What's next?
A. Analyzing the findings.
The traffic impact due to the swing or lift bridge, "that's what I'm concerned about" and how it would impact Webster residents, Nesbitt said. However, "the elephant in the room is where the money's coming from," he added.
A lift bridge's estimated construction cost would be $32.9 million, while retrofitting the existing bridge would cost $16 million. Funding would not be on the towns' backs, Seeley said. The project would need state and/or federal funding.
MEFINNERTY@Gannett.com