State Sen. Michael Nozzolio is calling on Gov. Eliot Spitzer to declare a state of emergency for Haiti Island in the town of Mentz.

"For the last two weeks, the only way for residents to obtain food, water and home heating fuel was by walking over the bridge. As you can imagine, this severely limits what can be transported," Nozzolio, R-Fayette, wrote in a letter to Spitzer Monday. "More importantly, these residents are cut off from emergency fire and medical response assistance."

The bridge was closed to vehicle traffic on and off the island of about 60 residents after a portion of the unused original structure fell into the Seneca River July 28. The damage posed risk to the Bailey bridge installed inside the original structure in 1990.

Declaring a state of emergency would make state assistance more readily available, according to a press release from Nozzolio.

While the bridge is currently open to all terrain vehicle and foot traffic, reconstruction is expected to cost between $40,000 and $70,000. Replacement is estimated at $2 million.

A spokesperson for the governor was not immediately available for comment.

Read the full report in Tuesday's edition of The Citizen.