LEWISBORO, N.Y. - A culvert on Oscaleta Road collapsed Sunday, prompting the immediate closure of the roadway as town and emergency officials assess the next steps and explore options for temporary repairs.
According to Lewisboro Town Supervisor Tony Gonçalves, the collapse was reported March 15 by the town’s highway superintendent and a sergeant with the Lewisboro Police Department. Gonçalves said he went to the scene along with emergency responders from the South Salem Fire Department.
The town’s Highway Department closed the road and secured the area around the collapse.
Officials are urging residents to stay clear of the site.
“For your safety, please do not climb into or attempt to cross the collapsed area,” Gonçalves said in a Facebook post yesterday.
Town officials said the culvert had already been slated for replacement before the collapse occurred. Lewisboro previously secured a $1.4 million BridgeNY grant from the New York State Department of Transportation to help fund the project.
Engineering firm Tectonic Engineering Consultants, Geologists & Land Surveyors was awarded the design contract and is overseeing the preliminary design phase. Work required for the project has included environmental studies, geotechnical analysis and survey work.
Both preliminary and final designs must be approved by the state Department of Transportation, as well as the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, which is responsible for environmental and permitting approvals.
Under the current schedule, the project would move into the bidding phase in the first quarter of 2027, with construction potentially beginning in the second quarter of that year.
Town officials say they will now explore whether that timeline can be accelerated in light of the collapse. Discussions with the DOT and the project’s engineers are expected to determine what changes may be possible within the guidelines of the grant program.
At the same time, the town is working with county and state partners to explore potential emergency or temporary solutions that could restore limited access to the road. One possibility under consideration is installing a temporary structure spanning the culvert that could safely allow one lane of traffic.
Officials said any temporary measures would be coordinated with the town’s Highway Department.
A community information session about the culvert replacement project is scheduled for 7 p.m. on March 26 at the Lewisboro Court building on the Lewisboro Elementary School campus.
Town officials said they will continue to update residents as more information becomes available.
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