The Union Street lift bridge in Spencerport has reopened after undergoing renovations for the last 16 months.

The bridge was closed while it underwent significant repairs to the flooring and electrical systems, as well as the mechanical systems that help left the bridge, according to New York State Department of Transportation spokesperson Jordan Guerrein

"We are not going to have to have a significant closure like this again, we expect, for the next 20 to 30 years," Guerrein said.

Spencerport Mayor Gary Penders said because of the bridge project, the village was able to complete sidewalk replacements by the south side of the bridge without having to disrupt that area later to accomplish that.

The bridge work in Spencerport is part of the same $16 million project that also involves renovating the lift bridge in Fairport. That Fairport work is still going on, and that bridge could reopen as soon as next February.

It is expected that both the Spencerport and Fairport lift bridges will be fully functional and accessible for vehicular and boat traffic ahead of the 2021 canal navigation season.



Both bridges are more than a century old.

New York Canal Corporation Director Brian Stratton said lift bridges are iconic structures over the Erie canal that connect canalside communities.

Randy Gorbman is the news director at WXXI News, a media partner of CITY.