Mayor Kraham Announces Completion of Murray Street Railroad Bridge Project

Murray Street Reopens to Traffic With Upgrades to Another Railroad Bridge Complete

(BINGHAMTON, N.Y.)—Mayor Jared M. Kraham on Saturday announced Murray Street has reopened to traffic following the completion of a major project to rehabilitate the railroad bridges between Clinton Street and Gerard Avenue.

The work is the latest bridge improvement project completed by Norfolk Southern since the City released a report in 2023 documenting the poor condition of local railroad bridges.

Mayor Kraham said: "When I took office, Binghamton's railroad bridges were in disastrous shape—crumbling concrete, exposed rebar and a source of widespread frustration for residents. As Mayor, I've held the railroads accountable for the condition of their bridges, prompting major improvements after decades of neglect. There's still work left to do, with other bridges that remain in need of upgrades. I will continue to work with Norfolk Southern as they plan additional improvements and won't stop until residents get the results they deserve."

Norfolk Southern has now rehabilitated or replaced seven of the worst railroad bridges in Binghamton in the last two years.

The work on Murray Street included replacement of the bridges' parapet walls, repairs to the concrete columns—including work to fix exposed rebar—new handrails, and fresh paint.

A portion of Murray Street, between Clinton Street and Gerard Avenue, had been closed during construction, which began in mid-July.

Vector Construction was hired by Norfolk Southern to complete the work at no cost to City taxpayers.

The improvements come after Mayor Kraham called on the railroad company to begin repairs following the release of a 2023 City report on bridge conditions.

Earlier that year, Mayor Kraham announced the City would hire an engineering firm to conduct visual inspections of the railroad bridges and document their findings. The firm, Binghamton-based HUNT-EAS, completed a 900-page report that found a majority of the bridges to be in poor or severe condition. Nearly half the bridges were found to have at least one "significant structural and/or safety concern that should be investigated and addressed by the Railroad," according to the report.

Shortly after, Norfolk Southern provided the City with a detailed plan to repair some of the bridges found to be in the worst condition.

Of the seven bridges found to be in "severe condition," five have since been repaired or replaced—the Glenwood Avenue, Jarvis Street and Front Street bridges. The report found the Murray Street bridges in "poor condition."

Norfolk Southern is planning repairs to the remaining two bridges found in "severe condition"—located on Water Street—next year.

Most of the railroad bridges in the City of Binghamton are owned by Norfolk Southern. Three are owned by New York Susquehanna & Western (NYSW).

Unlike road bridges, which are the responsibility of public entities, railroad bridges are the responsibility of the private railroad companies and are regulated by the federal government.

Earlier this year, City of Binghamton received the New York Conference of Mayors (NYCOM) Local Government Achievement Award for its work on the railroad bridge improvements.