Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele Jr. (I, D, WF-Sag Harbor) announced today that New York State has made $250 million available in enhanced assistance for local governments to rehabilitate and replace bridges and culverts statewide.

This new funding is provided through Governor Andrew Cuomo’s BRIDGE NY initiative, which focuses on projects that address poor structural conditions; mitigate weight restrictions or long detours; facilitate economic development or increase competitiveness; and/or reduce the risk of flooding.

BRIDGE NY grants are now available to all municipalities authorized to receive and administer state and federal transportation funding. Awards will be made through a competitive process and will support all phases of project development, including design, right-of-way acquisition and construction. Evaluations will be based on the structural condition of a bridge or culvert and its resiliency and significance, based upon traffic volumes, detour considerations, the number and types of businesses served and the overall impact on commerce.

Applications for culvert funding will be accepted through April 13, 2018, and for bridge funding through April 27, 2018. Grant applications and additional information are available at dot.ny.gov/bridgeny.

With the addition of this new funding, New York State is providing more than $1.4 billion for this fiscal year for regionally derived, locally administered road and bridge projects. The BRIDGE NY program is administered by the New York State Department of Transportation as part of the state's $29 billion Transportation Plan. The $250 million in enhanced assistance adds to the $200 million announced by the Governor in 2016 for similar local projects. More than 125 bridges and culverts in 96 communities are being rehabilitated or replaced with the initial funding.