WEST SENECA, N.Y. (WKBW) — The New York State Department of Transportation says construction on the Union Road bridge in West Seneca is slated to begin on July 1.
This is a story we have been following for months. In December 2025, a viewer reached out to us and said: "I frequent this road very often and never see anyone working."
After receiving that message, we reached out to NYSDOT and found out the timeline was unclear.
Then in April, we checked back in and learned that as temperatures rose and conditions improved, work on the bridge was slated to begin. Officials said they expected the work to be finished by the end of the 2026 construction season.
Now, NYSDOT Region 5 Director Eric Meka issued the following statement saying work will begin on July 1:
"Work to rehabilitate the substructure of the Union Road bridge (State Route 277) in the Town of West Seneca, Erie County, will begin on July 1, in compliance with environmental regulations. The project remains on schedule for completion by the end of 2026, and we appreciate the public’s patience as we complete these important repairs to ensure the long-term safety and integrity of the bridge."
The environmental regulations that Meka referred to are related to the bigeye chub, a New York State threatened fish species. According to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, the section of roadway covers an area where the bigeye chub is known to be present, and to avoid impacts to spawning bigeye chub and development of early-life stages, in-water work is not permitted to occur between May 1 and June 30.
