BINGHAMTON – The New York State Senate yesterday passed the Bridge and Road Investment and Dedicated Fund Guaranteed Enforcement Reform Act, also known as the BRIDGE Reform Act. The bill, sponsored by New York Senator Tom Libous, R-Binghamton, will ensure that the dedicated fund, originally enacted in 1991, will go towards rebuilding, replacing and reconditioning highways and bridges to improve the safety of drivers who travel them.

“The dedicated fund exists specifically for bridge and road repair to make taxpayers safer,” said Senator Libous. “This fund has been raided for unrelated state projects for years. My BRIDGE Act would end the raids and create a transparent funding stream to keep our roads and bridges safer.”

Chenango County has 19 bridges that are functionally obsolete and 20 bridges that are structurally deficient. New York State overall has 17,454 state and locally owned bridges, of which 4,364 are functionally obsolete and 2,095 are structurally deficient. Functionally obsolete refers to a bridge's inability to meet current standards; a structurally deficient bridge does not imply it is not safe but rather, when left open to traffic, it would typically require significant maintenance and repair.