Much Needed Construction Project Begins to Replace Dutchess County Bridge

The major construction project that as of this week is officially underway, is for not repairing but replacing the Garden Street Bridge over the Fall Kill Creek. Officials for the City of Poughkeepsie had issued reminders to residents in the area of the construction prior to this week and it was also re-shared by the City of Poughkeepsie Police Department.

Replacing the Garden Street Bridge

The notice from City of Poughkeepsie was originally shared to their official Facebook page, which you can view below. According to the post, the Garden Street Bridge is scheduled for closure on June 23. The post specifically was directed to the residents of Garden Street, Brookside Avenue, West Oakley Street, and Zimmer avenue, and the project officially began on Monday June 2.

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You could say that the current phase of the project is in a type of preparation phase as the post goes on to state that a VMS or Variable Message Sign will be placed at each end of Garden Street, one week prior to the closure and removal of the bridge. The post also states that detour routes are set to be placed in order to guide the public while the work is being done.

Speaking of work being done, the entire ordeal to replace a bridge will be a months long endeavor. The post states that the replacement of the bridge will take approximately eight (8) months to complete. If that estimation ends up being correct, that means the new bridge would be open by the end of February 2026.

In addition to the public being notified, notification was also given to the city Police, Fire Department and EMS. Considering the work will carry through a large portion of the 2026 academic year, the Poughkeepsie City School District Transportation System has also been informed.

Bridge Damage

Saying that a bridge is being replaced is simple enough but some may wonder what exactly this entire project entails. Well the post addresses that as well in stating specifically what is needed and what will be done over the course of the project. The list begins with...

• Crosswalks needed for pedestrian safety
• Improve radius from Brookside Ave., to Garden St
• Repair bridge deck and sidewalk concrete
• Fix existing undermined abutments and compromised foundation
• Improve provisions for cyclist traffic in project area.

The completion of these objectives will reportedly...

extend the lifecycle of the bridge by at least 50 years, minimize lifecycle cost, eliminate structural deficiencies and upgrade and expand operational performance

Based on some of the comments left under the post, many in the area are happy that work on the bridge is finally being done. One individual stated that "you could see right through to the water with some of those potholes".

Anyone with questions or concerns is also advised that they may contact the Resident Engineer in Charge may be contacted at 845-685-2514.