Hudson Valley Bridge Conditions News Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, September 17, 2019
Report Available at: tripnet.org

Contact:
Carolyn Bonifas Kelly 703.801.9212 (cell)
Rocky Moretti 202.262.0714 (cell)
TRIP office 202.466.6706

NEW REPORT IDENTIFIES HUDSON VALLEY BRIDGES MOST IN NEED OF REPAIR OR REPLACEMENT. APPROXIMATELY TWO-AND-A-HALF MILLION VEHICLES PER DAY CROSS REGION’S POOR/ STRUCTURALLY DEFICIENT BRIDGES; THIRTEEN PERCENT OF HUDSON VALLEY BRIDGES ARE RATED POOR/STRUCTURALLY DEFICIENT AND 64 PERCENT ARE RATED FAIR.

Eds.: TRIP has prepared a statewide report on bridge conditions throughout New York as well as regional reports for the Albany-Schenectady-Troy, Binghamton, Buffalo, Hudson Valley, Long Island, New York City, Rochester, Syracuse and Utica areas. The reports include a list of bridges in each area with the lowest average rating for the condition of the deck, superstructure and substructure, and a list of each area’s most heavily traveled poor/structurally deficient bridges. Infographics are available here.

Westchester, NY – Thirteen percent of bridges in the Hudson Valley are rated in poor/structurally deficient condition, according to a new report released today by TRIP, a Washington, DC based national transportation research nonprofit. This includes bridges 20 feet or longer and encompasses Columbia, Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Ulster and Westchester Counties. A bridge is rated poor/structurally deficient if there is significant deterioration of the bridge deck, supports or other major components.

The TRIP report, “Preserving Hudson Valley Bridges: The Condition and Funding Needs of Hudson Valley’s Aging Bridge System,” finds that in the Hudson Valley, 329 of the 2,551 bridges are rated in poor/structurally deficient condition –13 percent. Hudson Valley bridges that are poor/structurally deficient carry 2,552,156 vehicles per day.  Poor/structurally deficient bridges may be posted for lower weight limits or closed if their condition warrants such action. Deteriorated bridges can have a significant impact on daily life. Restrictions on vehicle weight may cause many vehicles – especially emergency vehicles, commercial trucks, school buses and farm equipment – to use alternate routes to avoid weight-restricted bridges. Redirected trips also lengthen travel time, waste fuel and reduce the efficiency of the local economy.

Sixty-four percent (1,634 of 2,551) of locally and state-maintained bridges in the Hudson Valley have been rated in fair condition.  A fair rating indicates that a bridge’s structural elements are sound, but minor deterioration has occurred to the bridge’s deck, substructure or superstructure. The remaining 23 percent (588 of 2,551) of the area’s bridges are rated in good condition.

Statewide, ten percent (1,757 of 17,521) of bridges are rated poor/structurally deficient, while 53 percent (9,364 of 17,521) are rated in fair condition and the remaining 37 percent (6,400 of 17,521) are in good condition.

“The condition of the Hudson Valley’s bridges is unacceptable and addressing needed repairs is of critical importance to the safety of the region’s residents and vitality of its businesses,” said Hudson Valley Economic Development Corporation President and CEO Mike Oates. “If commercial vehicles need to use alternate routes to reach their destinations, important deliveries will be delayed, travel time and fuel costs will skyrocket and the local economy will suffer.  It is the quality of our infrastructure that helps makes the Hudson Valley a great place to do business. We cannot allow this infrastructure to fall into disrepair and expect our regional economy to grow.”

The chart below details the 10 most heavily traveled poor/structurally deficient bridges in the Hudson Valley. A list of the 25 most heavily traveled poor/structurally deficient bridges in the region can be found in the report. The report’s Appendix also includes the ratings for each bridge’s deck, substructure and superstructure.  The chart also indicates whether the bridge is open to traffic, posted, which restricts use to lighter vehicles, or closed to traffic.

“As Westchester County’s only business membership organization focusing on economic development and advocacy, we continue to urge Albany and Washington to make infrastructure funding a top priority,” said John Ravitz, executive vice president and COO of the Business Council of Westchester. “It is imperative for those of us who are recruiting businesses to come to Westchester that we make a strong case that our roads, bridges and overpasses are safe for their employees to travel on a daily basis.”

The following 10 poor/structurally deficient bridges in the Hudson Valley (carrying a minimum of 500 vehicles per day) have the lowest average rating for deck, substructure and superstructure. Each major component of a bridge is rated on a scale of zero to nine, with a score of four or below indicating poor condition. If a bridge receives a rating of four or below for its deck, substructure or superstructure, it is rated as poor/structurally deficient. A list of the 25 bridges in the Hudson Valley with the lowest average rating for major bridge components is included in the report.

“New York’s bridges are a critical component of the state’s transportation system, providing connections for personal mobility, economic growth and quality of life,” said Will Wilkins, TRIP’s executive director. “Without increased and reliable transportation funding, numerous projects to improve and preserve aging bridges in the Hudson Valley and statewide will not move forward, hampering New York’s ability to efficiently and safety move people and goods.”