I t's usually not difficult to tell when repairs are under way at one of New York state's more than 17,000 bridges. If the street signs or workers donning bright orange vests flagging drivers toward alternate routes don't give it away, motorist delays and frustration usually drive the point home. But the state is attempting to ease the pain in certain heavily trafficked areas under a program launched last year that aims to put road and bridge repair work on the fast track, curbing driver inconvenience in the process.
Under Gov. Andrew Cuomo's NY Works initiative, the state's accelerated bridge construction (ABC) program is moving forward. The main goals are to reduce the backlog of what the agency calls "deficient" roads and bridges, many of which are at or nearing the end of their life cycles, and create thousands of jobs. It includes bridge deck and structural replacement or rehabilitation of 121 bridges as well as preservation and treatment of more than 2,000 miles of roadway. Through the state's Drivers First initiative launched last year, the program also demands that contractors keep interference with traffic flow to a minimum and imposes heavy fines for violations.