BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Whether you drive over or under them, it's hard to get far in Western New York without passing a bridge that's in poor condition.
Since 2021, we've kept an eye on the Beaver Island Parkway Bridge. Its replacement was fast tracked following an I-Team investigation that showed the 70-year-old bridge was rated in "poor" condition for years.
A New York State Thruway spokesperson confirmed that the $8.3 million project is progressing right along, and is on track to be completed by the end of the year.
7 News cameras caught construction crews completing the new bridge abutments Monday. Bridge steel is scheduled to be installed this Fall.
But questions remain over just how many other local bridges appearing in rough shape are in need of repair or replacement.
A Scripps News investigation found 537 bridges in New York State have been rated in "poor" condition for a decade or more. That's the ninth most in the United States.
That's just a portion of the 14,000 bridges that have been listed in poor condition for at least 10 years across the United States, according to data from the Federal Highway Administration.
Five bridges in the City of Buffalo are on the list, including the Louisiana Street bridge over I-190.
"We know what it's like to travel on roads like this and bridges like this, when they are substandard and what a difference it makes and why it's imperative that we work together federal, state and local to get the job done," declared Gov. Kathy Hochul this spring.
New York State invested more than $80 million on bridge replacement and rehabilitation in Western New York over the last five years, but still falling short in fixing all state bridges in disrepair.
There are many more bridges in need of repair than money available to fix them, both at the federal and local levels.
The Ransom Road bridge over I-90 in Clarence and Lancaster is the only local Thruway Authority controlled bridge also currently slated to receive a complete replacement.
“This bridge replacement project is one of many needed on the Thruway to replace aging infrastructure and modernize our transportation system,” said Thruway Authority Interim Executive Director Frank Hoare.
See every bridge rated in "poor" condition over the last decade here:
