Irondequoit Bay Outlet Bridge opening to vehicular traffic

The bridge will remain open until April 1, 2022

Photo Courtesy of the Monroe County Department of Transportation

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Webster, NY - As of November 1, the Irondequoit Bay Outlet Bridge (IBOB) is open to vehicular traffic for the season. It will remain open until April 1, 2022.

The IBOB is located at the north end of Irondequoit Bay; it stretches the outlet between Lake and Culver roads, from the Town of Webster to the Town of Irondequoit. It is swung into the open position annually for vehicular traffic five months out of the year. After that, it is swung away and closed to motorists so boaters can use the channel between April 1 and October 31.

The bridge is maintained and operated by the Monroe County Department of Transportation (DOT).

Below is a brief history of the IBOB as provided on the Monroe County website (verbatim).

History of the IBOB

In the early 1900s, the shallow channel was crossed by a narrow truss highway bridge and a single track railroad line. Around 1929 the bridge was replaced with a two–lane structure supported on timber piles. The timber bridge remained in service until August 14, 1985, when it was removed as part of an Army Corps of Engineers project that opened the Irondequoit Bay to marine traffic from Lake Ontario and created a state park at the bay outlet, to spark development in the bay.

The Irondequoit Bay Outlet Bridge came to be after several studies were carried out to determine the best way to traverse the bay outlet. The consultant determined that a low–level removable or “seasonal” bridge spanning the channel four months of the year was the only viable alternative that could be constructed with the remaining funds, after the allocated $20 million for a high level bridge was diverted to the California earthquake relief in 1994. Monroe County Legislature approved the $4.8 million project in 1997.

Included in the $4.8 million was the renovation of the nearby Irondequoit Bay Marine Park and the building of a Bobtail Swing Truss Bridge, plus engineering fees.

The two–span swing structure has a main span of 132.5 feet and a counter–weighted span of 53 feet. The pivot point of the bridge is on the west bank of the channel.

The superstructure is a galvanized pony truss with bolted connections. The use of bolted connections and full galvanization results in a structure that will be virtually maintenance free over its designed life. The use of bolted connections eliminates the fatigue concerns common with modern welded truss bridge systems and allows full galvanization of the truss.

The deck is solid concrete on the counterweight span and galvanized open grating on the main span. The sidewalk is also concrete on the counterweight span and aluminum grating on the main span.