New York Bridges Falling Down

New York bridges owned by the state are in dire need of more federal aid to repair.

The top 10 dilapidated bridges and elevated roadways in the city owned by the state are in dire need of federal aid to repair potentially hazardous conditions, the General Contractors Association of New York said, according to a new report.

The Kosciuszko Bridge, on the frequently jammed Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, leads the pack in the list of bridges in dire need of repair. The Gowanus Expressway is next, followed by the section of the Bronx River Parkway that traverses Amtrak.

Most of the dilapidated bridges are in the Bronx -- the borough has seven crossings on the list.

“There are sections of the Bronx River Parkway where you can see that the connections between the columns and beams are disappearing,” said Denise Richardson, managing director of the group, the Post reported.

The state Department of Transportation wants funding for the bridge maintenance, but repairs on the bridges are estimated to cost $8.75 billion dollar every year for the next five years.

The DOT and the GCA are seeking more federal aid to mend the bridges.

Richardson said the $350 million going to these bridges every year is not enough to tackle the projects that have been red flagged by state engineers. The spans will continue to decline without adequate funding.

"The federal transportation program, which is fully funded by highway-user fees has not been increased since 1993, is no longer sufficient to maintain or grow federal investment in elevated roads and bridges," Richardson said.

"These are difficult financial times, as everyone knows," DOT spokesman Adam Levine said. "Any money we get, the first cut goes to safety projects."

The other bridges and elevated roadways are on the Cross Bronx, Major Deegan and Bruckner Expressways and the Belt Parkway.

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