A major bridge project in Auburn is moving closer to construction, with city officials preparing residents for a year-long closure once work begins.
At Thursday night’s meeting, the Auburn City Council approved a contract with C&S Engineers to provide construction inspection services for the rehabilitation of the Lake Avenue Bridge.
On Friday’s FLX Morning, City Clerk Chuck Mason said the approval is likely the final item related to the project the council will see for some time as the city prepares to move into the construction phase.
The roughly $9 million project is expected to begin in late June, shortly after the end of the school year. Mason said the bridge will then be closed for most of a year while crews rehabilitate the bridge deck and complete other improvements.
The closure is expected to last through the entire 2026–2027 school year, with the bridge scheduled to reopen in the summer of 2027 before the following school year begins.
Mason noted the bridge is heavily used, particularly by drivers traveling to nearby schools, including Auburn High School. Because it is the primary connection between the east side of the city and other parts of Auburn, the closure will require significant detours.
During construction, traffic will be redirected either toward the Owasco Lake area using White Bridge Road to reach the high school, or through downtown Auburn.
Unlike the west side of the city, where several bridges connect neighborhoods, Mason said Lake Avenue is essentially the only bridge linking the east side of Auburn, making the project particularly impactful for drivers.
City officials say rehabilitating the bridge deck should extend the structure’s lifespan by another 25 to 30 years.
The project is being funded in part through the state’s BridgeNY Program, with about half of the total cost covered by state and federal grant funding.
City leaders say they will continue providing updates and information to the public as the construction start date approaches. The project is expected to coincide with another large infrastructure effort, the reconstruction of the Auburn Arterial, which is also scheduled to begin in 2026.
