Two flood-prone bridges in Rye are slated to be rebuilt as part of a $21 million investment by New York state aimed at improving flooding woes along the Blind Brook.
The undersized Oakland Beach Avenue and Playland Parkway bridges, both of which are owned by Westchester County, will be replaced and resized with funding from New York’s $4.2 billion Clean Air, Clean Water and Green Jobs Environmental Act of 2022, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced at a recent press conference.
“Communities in Westchester are all too familiar with the devastating and deadly effects of storm surges and flash flooding,” Hochul said.
Each bridge — located on the eastern portion of the city — is expected to cost $10 million to rebuild with the price tag covered entirely by the state funding, according to City Manager Brian Shea.
They both span the Blind Brook, restricting water flow during storms. The county will design the new structures with significantly wider spans designed to ease flooding during heavy rainfall, according to a city press release.
The new structures will also account for the effects of climate change on future water flow, according to a press release from Hochul’s office announcing the investment.
“It is critical that we invest in aging infrastructure to meet the current challenges due to rain events and flooding, and plan for future risks,” said U.S. Rep. George Latimer, a Rye resident. “This is an important investment in my backyard.”
Rye’s progress on this flood mitigation front dates back to 2019, when local officials began pushing for infrastructure improvements, with backing from Hochul, Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Amanda Lefton, state Sen. Shelley Mayer, state Assemblyman Steve Otis, and then Deputy County Executive Ken Jenkins helping bring that effort to fruition.
Rye Mayor Josh Cohn called the news “wonderful” and a reward for the city’s “years of effort.”
“This funds and accelerates two major projects on our flooding to-do list,” Cohn, who is politically unaffiliated said. “The new bridges will help protect Rye from increasing flood risk caused by greater watershed development and intensifying storms.”
Both bridges were flagged in the DEC’s 2022 Blind Brook Flood Mitigation and Resilience Report as contributing to local flooding issues. The report identified outdated infrastructure across Rye, Rye Brook, and Harrison that could be improved to better manage stormwater.
In addition to the bridge work in the city, the state also plans to fund a $1 million project in Rye Brook to daylight, or uncover, a channeled section of the East Blind Brook.
The Record reached out to city officials to determine when the projects are slated to begin and is awaiting comment.
