ELMIRA, N.Y. (WETM) — More than $14 million in assistance will be coming to the Southern Tier as part of the BRIDGE-NY program, which provides funding to municipalities and counties for bridge and culvert repairs. Five Southern Tier projects were funded by New York State Wednesday as part of this program, which was established in the 2016-2017 state budget.

The projects include roadwork in Chemung, Schuyler, Steuben, Seneca, Tompkins, and Yates counties. Sen. Tom O’Mara says this program will provide much-needed aid to local and county governments as well as alleviate the burden on taxpayers.

“This is state resources going again to help local governments with their local roads and bridges help our infrastructure,” Sen. O’Mara told 18 News.

Southern Tier projects include:

  • $2.299 million to Chemung County for the replacement of the Latta Brook (CR51) bridge over Latta Brook
  • $1.958 million to the Village of Odessa (Schuyler County) for the replacement of the Cotton Hanlon Road bridge over Deckertown Creek
  • $4.566 million to Steuben County for the replacement of the Smith Road bridge over the Cohocton River
  • $3.675 million to Tompkins County for the replacement of the County Road 146 bridge over Taughannock Creek
  • $1.462 million to Yates County for the replacement of the Haley Road bridge over Big Stream
  • $710,000 to Seneca County for the superstructure replacement of the Marshall Road bridge over Kendig Creek.  
  • $999,000 to the village of Interlaken (Seneca County) for the replacement of the Route 96 culvert carrying Lively Run Tributary

In total, $216.2 million in assistance was provided this year for 109 projects across New York. To date, the program has awarded $500 million to localities to undertake bridge and culvert rehabilitation and replacement projects.

“BRIDGE-NY has been an important addition to the increased state support for local transportation infrastructure.  We must continue to take important steps to establish stronger state support for local roads, bridges and culverts in critical need of rehabilitation and replacement.  The state’s recognition over the past several years of the importance of local transportation infrastructure and parity in statewide transportation funding will continue making a significant difference for our local governments, local economies, local property taxpayers, and motorist safety locally and statewide.  We will continue working with Governor Hochul, our legislative colleagues, and local highway superintendents and leaders across this region and state on this vitally important challenge and priority. Every additional dollar of state support means a dollar less that our local property taxpayers have to pay.  We need to keep making these investments in economic growth and job creation throughout the Southern Tier and Finger Lakes regions, and all across New York.” 

Sen. Tom O’Mara & Assemblymember Phil Palmesano

BRIDGE-NY funding is available to all municipalities authorized to receive and administer state and federal transportation funding. A competitive process is utilized to distribute the awards, which will support all phases of project development including design, right-of-way, and construction. Evaluations are based on the resiliency of the structure, the current bridge, and culvert structural conditions, and the significance and importance of the bridge based on traffic volumes, detour considerations, the number and types of businesses served, and the overall impact on commerce.