A project to repair and modify the south Grand Island bridges to protect against seismic events is set to receive $39 million in federal funds.
U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer announced the funding Monday morning. “Western New York’s south Grand Island bridges are lifelines for Niagara Falls and Tonawanda, connecting communities to the mainland and carrying thousands of cars every day. But age and deterioration have taken a toll on many sections of the bridge, and recent events, from the earthquake we experienced downstate to the tragic bridge collapse in Baltimore, have brought the need to make repairs to this vital corridor for WNY to the top of mind,” Schumer said in a release.
The New York State Thruway Authority will receive the $39 million to repair and modify the bridges, connecting Grand Island to the Town of Tonawanda via the I-190, to make them more resistant to seismic activity, ground motion and soil failure as a result of earthquakes. The twin bridges provide an evacuation route across the Niagara River on Interstate 190 to more than 21,000 residents of Grand Island. The project also will enhance safety for vehicles and maintenance operations and provide better connectivity for pedestrians and bicyclists, a release from the state said.
“Hardening bridge infrastructure to guard against potential disaster makes great sense but is costly and I thank Senator Schumer for acting quickly to protect the very important Grand Island bridges, which are critical not only to Erie County but to New York state and Canada as well,” Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz said. “These spans carry millions of vehicles annually and are vital to tourism and trade as well as to local motorists. As we have seen recently in Baltimore, bridge catastrophes can happen in seconds but have long-lasting impacts.”
In addition, Schumer also announced $1.6 million to bolster emergency response plans for Erie, Niagara, Cattaraugus, and Chautauqua counties to keep communities safe during severe weather. The funding comes from the Department of Transportation’s Promoting Resilient Operations for Transformative, Efficient, and Cost-saving Transportation (PROTECT) Grant program, which was funded through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Law.
The grant will be used to examine vulnerabilities around roadway and transit operations as well as maintenance practices during severe winter snowstorms made more challenging by lake-effect snow. One goal is to identify ways to consistently and proactively communicate with residents about openings, closures, travel conditions and to support emergency responders.
Added Schumer, “Buffalo and WNY have experienced some of the worst blizzards in recent years from lake effect snow and robust planning for extreme weather before it happens is essential to keeping our residents and emergency responders safe.”