Town crews display professionalism

Late last week, the town of Saratoga completed the first part of the pedestrian bridge project.

The project consisted of setting the 150-foot bridge over a span from Veterans Island to the inlet near the hot pool.

Since 2009, the pedestrian bridge project has been the center of controversy in the town. Many have referred to it as the “bridge to nowhere.” Others have simply called it a waste of taxpayers’ money.

Regardless of what you think of the project itself, you have to give kudos to the personnel who placed the bridge last week.

Town crews patiently waited almost an entire day for the crane to arrive in Saratoga. When it arrived, the crane crews got right to work — dealing with extremely dangerous machinery in cold and wet conditions.

Town crews were up early in the morning the day the bridge was set. They had everything prepared — from their biggest equipment to the smallest details. Between hoisting the bridge 50 feet up in the air, to navigating the large equipment around Veterans Island Park.

There were many times during this process, where things could have gone horribly wrong. Even not tightening a bolt completely could have brought disastrous results.

All of the personnel involved showed tremendous professionalism during the project. Town crews were especially courteous to the press and anyone else who wanted to watch the project unfold. They were fantastic with explaining what was going on and letting people have a close look at the project while keeping everyone safe at the same time.

It was a complex project, but it was handled near to perfection.

The Saratoga Sun encourages you to thank the town employees for their hard work on this project.