ERIE COUNTY, N.Y. -- In a tale of two counties and a bridge that neither wants, the intended recipients of the Old Route 219 Bridge, Erie and Cattaraugus counties, are telling the State DOT to keep it.
"Our urging to the state is that they maintain this bridge under their inventory," said John Searles, Cattaraugus County Administrator.
The State Department of Transportation notified county officials earlier this year that after performing repair work to the bridge, which was renovated in 2011, they would transfer ownership to both counties.
It's a case of deja vu that officials said could cost millions of dollars.
"At that time, we expressed the lack of interest in terms of having the bridge transferred to the county," Searles said. "This is way outside of our capacity to maintain on the long-term."
Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz on Wednesday proposed a resolution asking the legislature to oppose the move. Erie County already maintains more miles of road than any county in the state.
He issued the following statement, which reads, in part:
“There are significant safety and financial requirements associated with ownership of this bridge, requirements that neither county is prepared to meet.”
At 652 feet in length, officials on both sides say the sheer size of the bridge is just too much for them to handle.
If possession is handed over to the counties, Cattaraugus County officials said they could abandon it entirely.
"We again re-issued a resolution very similar to what was issued in 2011 regarding the transfer of the bridge," said Searles.
Poloncarz's resolution doesn't go that far but it is something the legislature could consider Thursday. For now, it will be used to show solidarity with Cattaraugus County.
There is no word on why the DOT is looking to transfer the bridge, as our calls for comment were not returned.