NYSDOT Commissioner Wants Full Review Before Determining Future of Pond Eddy Bridge

ALBANY, NY (05/15/2012)(readMedia)-- NYSDOT Commissioner Joan McDonald is calling upon the Interstate Bridge Commission to review the interstate agreement to determine what updates are necessary to meet the demands of modern traffic.

Regarding the Pond Eddy bridge, in today's environment, it is very difficult to justify such a significant investment for such limited use and the Commissioner feels that the maintenance and rehabilitation alternatives to maintain the structure at its current capacity need to be fully evaluated.

Commissioner McDonald said that further capital project investment should not be made until the Interstate Bridge Agreement is reviewed and status agreed upon.

McDonald is not advocating for the withdrawal of $5 million in funding for the Pond Eddy Bridge project.

Rather – she wants the Interstate Bridge Commission to evaluate all 10 bridges the Commission manages and investigate if there are resources available for historic preservation that could be allocated to these bridges instead of using scarce resources needed to maintain infrastructure that is much more heavily used.

NYSDOT is committed to working with PennDot to find a solution amenable to everyone.