Kenneth C. Crowe II reports in the Times Union that Amtrak will allow the replacement of the Van Hoesen Road Bridge, which is known as the “Buffalo Bridge,” in Schodack in Rensselaer County. Vehicles have been kept off the bridge that crosses over the railroad tracks since December 2019 when the county shut the span down due to safety concerns over structural weakening. “We are excited that work will begin to replace the Buffalo Bridge this summer, and end months of inconvenience and detours for those who travel through this area of South Schodack,” County Executive Steve McLaughlin said in a statement. The bridge is used as a shortcut from Route 9 south along Van Hoesen Road to reach GEM Farms Buffalo with its herd of bison. The farm has been owned by the Mesick family since 1793. In 2015, some of their bison left the farm and swam across the Hudson River to Bethlehem where they were killed. Read more about this story in the Times Union.