NYS DOT approves Preston Way bridge redesign

Requests for bids to go out next week

By MARTIN WILBUR

The New York State Department of Transportation has approved the redesigned plans for a new Preston Way bridge, enabling Mount Kisco to publish its bid documents Monday and moving the project forward.

The village, which announced the DOT’s approval Wednesday afternoon, confirmed that bids would be publicly unsealed at 11 a.m. on Monday, Dec. 21, and read aloud.

On Dec. 3, 2025, the DOT suddenly ordered the Preston Way bridge closed to traffic and pedestrians during the height of the holiday season, snarling traffic throughout Mount Kisco and potentially costing merchants tens of thousands of dollars in business. 

Village Board members reached late Wednesday said they are relieved, although there is still a long way to go before construction starts and work is completed.

The Preston Way bridge. THANE GRAUEL PHOTO

“Every step forward that we can take is good news,” said village Trustee Heather Bryant. “We’ve got to keep one foot in front of the other on this one, for sure.”

By spring, village officials thought they were prepared to go out to bid, but the DOT asked for a redesign of the bridge’s abutment, which has delayed the project by nearly six months. During that time there has been considerable back and forth between the DOT and the village’s consulting engineers.

Village Manager Ed Brancati said that last month the agency provided him with the potential target date of Oct. 26 for final approval, but that date passed without the DOT signing off on the project. There had been a suggestion that it was a complex project, fueling additional frustration from the village as well as residents and merchants who have been severely impacted by the closure. That triggered a response last week from Mount Kisco’s consulting engineers pushing back on the idea that it’s a difficult design.

“There’s complexity, obviously, in everything but it is not the most complicated or complex bridge or structure and design. We’ve provided them with everything that they asked for,” Brancati said of the DOT.

On Wednesday, board members were happy to turn the page and have the six-week bid process begin next week. Trustee Tom Luzio said he was relieved to see Mount Kisco advance to the next part of the project.

“It’s exciting to know we get to look at bids and make a decision and really crunch the numbers and look at these numbers and review the résumés,” Luzio said.

It is unclear whether the Village Board will be able to immediately award a contract once the bids are opened. There is a scheduled board meeting for the evening of Dec. 21, but a special meeting can also be scheduled.

Then officials will have to evaluate whether they need more money for the work. The last estimate of $8.6 million came almost three years ago, and the cost is virtually certain to be higher because of inflation, the impact of tariffs and other factors.

So far, the village has accumulated a $5 million state grant and has borrowed $3.6 million. Previously, Mayor J. Michael Cindrich had said more state money could be in the offing from DOT, but amounts haven’t been made publicly available.

Luzio said once the bid has been awarded and the village is certain how much more money it needs, officials can meet with state representatives and lobby for additional funds. The board has already granted Brancati the authority to publish the bid documents, so that task does not need to wait until the next meeting.

“We gave Ed the authority to immediately start the process of putting out these bids,” Luzio said. “So, it’s nice to know the project’s moving forward again.”

Officials project that it will take at least a year to build the new bridge once the existing span is demolished.

“A lot of hard work and dedication were put into getting this all together,” said Trustee Tammy Brown.