Report: New York needs $29M to upgrade aging state bridges

(The Center Square) — New York needs to spend tens of millions of dollars to bring its aging bridges into a state of good condition, according to the state's top fiscal watchdog, calling for more funding for the upgrades.

The report by New York Comptroller Tom DiNapoli said about one in 10 municipal bridges in the Empire State are in "poor" condition, with an estimated $29 million needed to repair the structures.

"Ensuring safe and reliable public infrastructure is an ongoing concern for local governments across the country," DiNapoli said in a statement. "Despite increased funding from the federal and state governments, there is a great deal more work that needs to be done in New York. Local governments need this funding to continue so sorely needed repairs and maintenance are completed."

As of 2023, New York State had 17,573 highway bridges, just over half of which — or 8,891 — were owned by counties, cities, towns and other local authorities and agencies, DiNapoli said.

The state has pumped nearly $1.7 billion in federal and State funding toward bridge repair and replacement for local governments.

"Despite these investments, there are still many local bridges across the State rated in poor condition and continued investment is needed," DiNapoli wrote in the report. "Local officials should be proactive in applying for funding."

New York has seen a major uptick in funding for bridge repairs under the $1.2 trillion federal infrastructure package, which President Joe Biden signed into law in November 2021 after receiving bipartisan support in Congress.

Overall, the state stands to get more than $38 billion from the spending bill over the next five years, including at least $11.6 billion for highway upgrades and $1.9 billion for bridges, according to the White House.

In 2022, the Biden administration's Infrastructure Report Card gave the state a C- grade, saying there are 1,702 bridges and nearly 7,292 highway miles in "poor" condition.

Nationwide, 6.8% of bridges were rated in poor condition, according to 2023 Federal Highway Administration data. At least 11 states had a higher percentage of bridges in poor condition than New York, the agency said.