The 1980 Olympic ski jumps form an eye-catching backdrop for the new bridge on Route 73 south of Lake Placid, New York. Photo by NYSDOTA new bridge on Route 73 in New York comes with a great view of the 1980 Olympic ski jumps.
Two 85-year-old bridges were removed to make way for the new bridge, which New York State Department of Transportation officials see as part of a plan to increase tourism and help the local economy in the Lake Placid and High Peaks area. The work is also part of a $9.9 million multi-bridge contract and a $542 million Empire Bridge program, designed to rebuilding the state’s infrastructure, according to the NYSDOT.
The bridge crosses the West Branch of the AuSable River, as does another nearby bridge on Route 9N in AuSable Forks.
“Across the state, we are building new, state-of-the-art bridges to replace vulnerable structures and dramatically improve infrastructure resiliency in the face of extreme weather,” Governor Andrew Cuomo said in a news release. “With Route 73 serving as a critical route to Lake Placid and the High Peaks, reliable and efficient transportation is key to increasing tourism and growing the economy.”
The contract for both the Route 73 and Route 9N bridges is scheduled to end in June, with minor work at both sites to continue until then, the NYSDOT says.
The Empire Bridge program is replacing 100 out-of-date structures across the state.
