New York Construction Report staff writer
A $483 million allocation announced this week for projects to rehabilitate and replace bridges and culverts will soon be available to local governments across New York in the latest instalment of the state’s BRIDGE NY initiative.
The New York state Department of Transportation will work through local planning organizations to allocate the funding to towns, villages, and other governmental entities in every region of the state to help them harden their existing infrastructure and improve resiliency against severe weather events.
“New York is already feeling the effects of climate change with ever-more frequent severe weather events that just this year have washed out several key bridges and roadways in our state,” Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a statement. “The investments we are making through the ‘BRIDGE NY’ program will help local governments enhance the safety, resiliency, sustainability, and reliability of their infrastructure, increasing the ability of our bridges to withstand extreme weather events and keep New Yorkers on the move.”
The announcement adds to about $1.2 billion provided to local governments under the BRIDGE NY initiative over the past several years. As part of the state’s historic $32.8 billion capital plan adopted last year, an additional $1 billion was committed to BRIDGE NY, effectively doubling the size of the program. The latest round of investments under the program will be made in the coming months as NYSDOT works through the local planning process with Regional and Metropolitan Planning Organizations. This funding will support all phases of project delivery, including design, right-of-way acquisition and construction.
The BRIDGE NY application is available to all municipalities authorized to receive and administer state and federal transportation funding. Awards will support all phases of project development, including design, right-of-way acquisition and construction. Evaluations will be based on the structural condition of a bridge or culvert and its resiliency and significance based upon traffic volumes, detour considerations, the number and types of businesses served and the overall impact on commerce. Priority consideration may also be given to projects that provide benefits to environmental justice communities.
