Governor Kathy Hochul (D) recently issued more than $484 million in “enhanced assistance” to 137 local governments across New York to rehabilitate and replace bridges and culverts, enhancing safety and improving the resiliency and sustainability of vital transportation infrastructure.
[Above photo by NYSDOT]
That funding – provided through the state’s “BRIDGE NY” initiative with significant support from the federal Bridge Formula Program – will support 216 individual projects and will help local governments harden existing infrastructure to better endure severe weather events and withstand the impacts of climate change.
Gov. Hochul noted in a statement that the BRIDGE NY program specifically supports projects that will reduce the risk of flooding and improve the resiliency of structures, while also facilitating regional economic competitiveness and prioritizing projects that benefit environmental justice communities.
“We need to make critical infrastructure upgrades so our communities can withstand the extreme weather to come,” she said. “Working closely with local governments, we are investing millions to harden more than 200 bridges and culverts across the state, enhancing public safety and make these structures ready for whatever Mother Nature can throw at us.”
This funding builds upon the more than $1.23 billion previously awarded to local governments under the BRIDGE NY initiative. As part of the $33 billion capital plan adopted by New York State in 2022, $1 billion was committed to BRIDGE NY, effectively doubling the size of the program.
The awards from this latest round of BRIDGE NY funding went to projects selected based on input from Regional and Metropolitan Planning Organizations, noted the New York State Department of Transportation; funds that will support all phases of project delivery, including design, right-of-way acquisition and construction.
“New York State remains committed to working with our local partners to enhance public safety by improving the resiliency and sustainability of our infrastructure,” NYSDOT Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez. “This BRIDGE NY funding … will provide critically important financial support for local governments to harden their bridges and culverts against the looming threat of severe weather and help keep New Yorkers safe and on the move.”
State departments of transportation across the country oversee a host of state-only and mixed state- and federally-funded program for local bridge projects.
For example, the Connecticut Department of Transportation recently issued more than $15.8 million in grants for 18 projects via its state-funded State Local Bridge Program, which is a cost-matching grant initiative that provides 50 percent of project costs for locally-owned bridges.
Towns and cities administer all design and construction aspects of their projects, while the agency oversees project milestones and provides guidance for the municipalities.
The Connecticut General Assembly created this bridge program in 1984 as part of the state’s Infrastructure Renewal Program and, since 2016, it has provided more than $129 million in grants to Connecticut’s towns and cities.
“Through the State Local Bridge Program, we are helping ensure locally-owned bridges remain in a state of good repair. Many of the projects are only moving forward as a result of the 50 percent grant provided by the state,” noted Garrett Eucalitto, Connecticut DOT’s commissioner, in a statement. “This grant program continues to grow in popularity as it has proven to deliver results for communities large and small across the state.”
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