P-J file photo Construction on the Chautauqua County Veterans Memorial Bridge is continuing.

Despite worries and concerns voiced by residents on social media over the weekend, a New York state Department of Transportation director maintains the Interstate 86 bridges over Chautauqua Lake are “safe for travel.”

“New York state DOT is aware of social media posts over the weekend that questioned the safety of the spans,” said Eric Meka, state DOT Region 5 director. “These are false.”

Meka said as part of the ongoing rehabilitation project, DOT contractors power washed girders and removed corroded metal. “This is a routine occurrence and in no way compromised the structural integrity of the bridge,” he said.

Meka noted the DOT did additional inspections of the structural steel over the weekend and found them to have more than adequate load capacity. “Safety is always NYSDOT’s top priority and any bridge that was determined to be unsafe would be closed immediately,” he said.

This past weekend’s social media chatter is not the first time work at the site has come under scrutiny. In April, a letter received by The Post-Journal detailed one engineer’s position that much of the concrete barrier on the bridge’s south side had been removed while the north side of the structure had seen additional concrete “Jersey” barriers added, creating an unbalanced load distribution between the two ends of the bridge.

At that time, the DOT maintained it was “re-evaluating plans for the removal of concrete from the bridges carrying Interstate 86 over Chautauqua Lake.” Since that time, work has continued — and traffic has flowed on the overpass — without disruption.

The 24-span Chautauqua County Veterans Memorial Bridge near Bemus Point sees heavy commercial traffic with an average daily traffic count of 13,000 vehicles, according to the Erdman Anthony Engineering Firm that is overseeing the $78 million project. Work that began in March will reconstruct the 4,000-foot main bridge that was completed in 1982 as well as the two 500-foot-long structures that split off on the eastern end of the main bridge. The fourth structure that carries the westbound Southern Tier Expressway ramps to Route 430 will also be resurfaced and receive new joints.

“New York state DOT continually monitors conditions on the bridges and will keep the public apprised as we progress this rehabilitation project,” Meka said.