Over 17,000 New York bridges need repairs, hundreds are structurally deficient, report says

NEW YORK — More than 17,000 bridges in New York state need to be repaired and almost 10% are structurally deficient, according to a new report.

New York ranked 11th in the U.S. for dilapidated bridges in the American Road and Transportation Builders Association report.

The report said the state’s 10 worst bridges are in New York City, including some elevated parts of the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway.

“They don’t take care of nothing in the city,” said Pasquale Marsigliano. 

“They’re getting old,” said Craig Smith. 

In a statement, city officials told CBS News York the BQE, “remains safe for vehicle traffic and is one of the most closely monitored bridge structures in the city.” 

New Jersey ranked 27th on the list. Connecticut came in 36th.   

New York makes infrastructure investments, but heavy traffic creates challenges

New York’s weather and heavy traffic patterns make it harder to complete repairs on time, according to the American Road and Transportation Builders Association, but the problem is nationwide. 

“One in three bridges across the United States that need some sort of repair work,” Allison Black, ARTBA’s chief economist, said. “New York is a state that has been making investments in repairing these structures, but they have a lot of challenges.” 

State officials touted recent historic investments to modernize bridges, including $2 billion. But experts say that’s just a start. 

“The data clearly tells us that there’s urgent need for investment,” said Byungik Chang, a professor at Tagliatela College of Engineering. 

Bridges not in danger of collapsing, expert says 

While the report’s findings are significant, experts say they do not mean bridges are in danger of collapsing or falling down. 

“A structure being called out as deficient does not mean it’s an immediate hazard,” said Michael Shenoda, an associate professor of civil engineering at Farmingdale State College.

Shenoda says the issues should still be resolved right away.

State Department of Transportation workers inspect bridges on a regular basis, officials said.