BELFAST — A newly constructed and reopened bridge on County Road 26 in the town of Belfast has been named the William “Bill” A. Nichols Bridge.

Allegany County officials attended an official reopening ceremony on Thursday along with family members and friends of Nichols. Representatives from the offices of Gov. Kathy Hochul, U.S. Rep. Nick Langworthy, state Sen. George Borrello and Assemblyman Joe Sempolinski were also present.

William “Bill” A. Nichols gives remarks at the dedication of the new bridge in Belfast named in his honor.

William “Bill” Nichols, who attended the ceremony as well, is a long-time resident of Belfast. His career in public works began in 1968 and continued for nearly 50 years. During that time, he served as Belfast highway superintendent, president of the Allegany County Highway Superintendents Association and was a member of the New York State Association of Town Superintendents of Highways and the New York State Association of Towns.

The bridge was closed to traffic in February 2022, which greatly impacted the routing of police, fire and emergency services, significantly altered school transportation plans and created a substantial detour for commuter and business traffic, officials said.

Shortly after the bridge was closed, Hochul announced that Allegany County would be awarded $8.6 million toward the replacement of the bridge. The $8.6 million was funded by the state Department of Transportation through a combination of federal, state and local funding.

STRETCH OF ANGELICA ROAD TO CLOSE

Meanwhile, in the town of Angelica, County Road 15 from Peavy Road to Lamont Road will be closed for approximately six weeks starting on June 23 to repair a culvert.

There will not be an on-site detour, and motorists are urged to seek alternate routes.