Irene Destroys High Traffic Footbridge

It is a story that has become all too familiar in the last few days.

A small brook running through the woods was transformed into a rushing river of destruction as Hurricane Irene poured her 9 to 12 inches of rain onto the already saturated area.

The victim this time was a small footbridge connecting Chilton Lane and Cypress Lane in Aberdeen. The concrete and galvanized steel were no match against the strong current. 

Rich Eisenbeis, who lives on Chilton Lane next to the footbridge, noticed the damage when he emerged Sunday morning from his power-less home to evaluate the damage.

"The water was running over the top of the walk," he said. As the water receded, the damage was evident.

"Children use this path to get to . And people who take the bus to work in NYC every morning," Eisenbeis said. He estimates that between 60 and 70 people use the path twice a day.

According to Aberdeen Township Mayor Fred Tagliarini, the footbridge was rebuilt about ten years ago. The bridge is something the mayor says he would like to see fixed, but as of now it is not a top priority.

Tagliarini took a visual tour of the township Sunday morning and will be working with other township leaders to create a list of projects and repairs that need to be completed and prioritize them.

However the first step, he said, is to get all of the trees out of the roads and restore power in homes and businesses.