3 days ago
After lengthy restoration project, Rochester's Pont de Rennes bridge ‘isn't holding strong'
ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) — After a lengthy restoration project, the Pont de Rennes pedestrian bridge isn't holding strong.
After walking down the bridge, News 8 noticed damage and spoke with the community about how they feel.
'When the surface of the bridge is deteriorating, people say 'Well, was this a waste of money?' and we're still trying to get answers on that,' Rochester's Kathryn D'Amanda said.
Walking along the bridge, News 8 noticed nearly 40 areas with damage just like this. Now, this project went over budget at $18.7 million.
'When you do a big project like this, you hope that the public is going to have a joyful experience,' D'Amanda said. 'It was a long time coming and you don't want people being disappointed and sometimes I think that the City doesn't take… they invest a lot… but they don't in the end invest enough to make the difference that we need to have.'
D'Amanda told News 8 the damage is upsetting after the time and money the City put in. The Pont de Rennes pedestrian bridge restoration project included repairs to the bridge's structural steel and the addition of a new deck railing.
The project started in July 2023 and the bridge reopened in December 2024.
But D'Amanda said even before this damage, the City could've done better with beautification.
'They invested a lot and they did a lot of work under the bridge which is very important but they didn't take the final step in painting it which makes it look to the public as if the work wasn't done,' D'Amanda said.
But a few Rochesterians, like Gary Silco, say it's a cosmetic issue, so it's not much of a bother.
'I don't feel that it's dangerous,' Silco said. 'I think it might be a hazard for people stepping on it perhaps but I don't think it's a danger to the bridge.'
Ultimately, locals like D'Amanda and Silco told News 8 they love their city.
'I'm so excited to live in the city and I hope that the city will take the time and the money that it takes to invest properly,' D'Amanda said.
According to a spokesperson for the City of Rochester, City employees are aware of the chipping of the non-structural concrete deck coating on the bridge. They are waiting for a report to figure out why this happened and they say the bridge surface will be redone, at no cost to the City, after they have determined the cause of the issue.
In the meantime, the City says the contractor is set to do some patch work.
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