By Eileen Buckley
Buffalo, NY – A state audit on bridges indicates that Buffalo's Peace Bridge is in "deficient condition." State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli released two separate reports today on the condition of bridges in New York.
One of the state audits indicates there are currently 93 bridges in use across the State with a safety rating at or below the rating given to the Lake Champlain Bridge that was forced to close last year. The Peace Bridge received a 3-point-3 rating on a scale of zero to seven. The rating indicates serious deterioration or not functioning as originally designed. DiNapoli says the Peace Bridge rating must be addressed with a sense of urgency to avoid a shutdown of the Bridge.
With the Peace Bridge listed as the sixth busiest border crossing in the nation, a closure would shutter the movement of trade and commerce. But DiNapoli stopped short of saying the Peace Bridge is unsafe for current travel. He says the State DOT continues to monitor the condition.
A second audit finds the DOT failed to address one-third of serious highway bridge defects found by its inspectors. DiNapoli says the DOT acted too slow to repair defective bridges. In Buffalo and Binghamton, delays of up to seven months occurred to deal with 18 "red flag" defects.
Some of the high priority flagged bridges include the William Gaiter bridge over the Kensington Expressway in Buffalo and the Route 93 bridge over Tonawanda Creek in Niagara County.