Irondequoit Bay Outlet Bridge now open

The Irondequoit Bay Outlet Bridge opened to traffic Monday.

The bridge, which connects Irondequoit and Webster at the north end of Irondequoit Bay, will remain in place through April 1.

It is disconnected during the summer season to allow boats to travel from the bay onto Lake Ontario.

The reopening of the bridge drew dozens of onlookers, with mixed feelings as to whether the bridge should be open year-round.

"I would prefer not to have the bridge," said Allison Mayer, manager of Mayer's Marina. "Our customers need access to the lake."

Webster resident Peter Sak, 68, would like to have bridge access year-round. It is inconvenient to have to drive around the bay to get to Irondequoit, he said.

Sak took his 10 year-old grandson Nicholas Sharpe and his daughter Lori Sharpe to watch the bridge opening. Nicholas was excited to see it for the first time.

Stewart and Barbara Agor live nearby on Lake Road in Webster and  took pictures of the bridge for their grandson to view. While she likes the convenience of getting to Irondequoit quickly, she also doesn't like the traffic on Lake Road when the bridge is open, as she enjoys taking walks there.

"I have mixed feelings about this," she said.

MCHAO@DemocratandChronicle.com