In response to public outcries, the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) will install a temporary one-lane bridge with pedestrian accommodations while replacing a bridge that carries State Route 23 over the Unadilla River. (Photo by Shawn Magrath)

NEW BERLIN – The New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) is pulling back plans to reroute traffic on a 27-mile detour while road crews replace a bridge in the hamlet of South New Berlin.

A recent letter to Chenango County officials from NYSDOT affirms that a temporary one-lane bridge with pedestrian accommodations will be used during construction of a bridge that carries State Route 23 over the Unadilla River.

The letter states that a temporary bridge is “the most appropriate course of action” following public comments on the proposed detour which would have re-routed south on State Route 8 to the intersection of State Route 23 and 51 in Mount Upton.

The change was welcomed by Columbus Supervisor Diane Scalzo at a meeting of the county’s board of supervisors Monday.

“I want to thank everyone who spoke out,” Scalzo said, citing the impact a long detour would have had on through traffic and area residents.

NYSDOT reached out to local officials in June to notify them about changes to their original plan to install a one-way bridge during construction. The department said at the time that soil conditions and a cost increase of more than $1 million had forced it to change course.

But some local officials, including South New Berlin Fire Chief Kevin Christian, argued that the proposed detour put a price tag on public safety. New York State Assemblyman Joe Angelino also urged NYSDOT to reconsider, arguing that the detour would be more than inconvenient for motorists traveling between the cities of Norwich and Oneonta; it would be unsafe.

NYSDOT has a timeline for bridge construction, slated to begin in 2024 with a completion date for the 2025 construction season.