Governor announces $483 million available in ‘Bridge NY’ funding

Press Release, Gov. Kathy Hochul’s Office

Governor Kathy Hochul announced on Wednesday that $483 million in assistance to rehabilitate and replace bridges and culverts will soon be available to local governments across New York in the latest installment of the State’s popular BRIDGE NY initiative.

The 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.

The state’s BRIDGE NY initiative supports projects that combat climate change by reducing the risk of flooding, improves the resiliency of structures, facilitates regional economic competitiveness and prioritizes projects that benefit environmental justice communities.

“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,” Governor Hochul said. “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 builds upon the approximately $1.2 billion that has previously been 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.