New York State: $1.197M for Cornwall culvert

July 26, 2024

Originally published in Hudson Valley Times on July 26, 2024 .

Senator James Skoufis and Assemblyman Chris Eachus announced last week that five Orange County bridges and culverts have been chosen for replacement or rehabilitation through the 2024 Bridge NY Initiative. This initiative will fund local governments’ efforts to improve safety and resiliency of local transit infrastructure, reduce risk, and resolve existing issues that lead to persistent flooding.

Among the projects, $1.197 million will go to the Town of Cornwall for replacement of Jackson Ave. culvert carrying the tributary to Moodna Creek.

Skoufis and Eachus met Cornwall Supervisor Josh Wojehowski to view the Jackson Avenue culvert in Cornwall, which will undergo rehabilitation under the initiative.

“We witnessed what hyper-localized flooding can do to aging infrastructure in the Town of Cornwall with the last two Federal Disasters that took place in 2021 and 2023,” Wojehowski said. “Without state assistance to replace and upgrade critical transportation infrastructure, we’d be on our own to fund projects like the Jackson Avenue culvert.”

Skoufis said he is glad to see state and local agencies working together.

“I am grateful for the partnership of state and local governments investing in the lasting safety of our communities,” the senator said. “As extreme weather events become more common, it is vital we strengthen the infrastructure that will keep Orange County safe in the long term. The rehabilitation and repair of these bridges will help keep our roads safe for years to come.”

Eachus agreed: “Our government works at its best when communication between branches is open and accessible. Now, one year after the historic and cataclysmic flooding of July 2023, I’m proud to work closely with Senator Skoufis and the town governments of Orange County to keep our infrastructure up to code. It’s not enough to just rebuild; we need our bridges and culverts to be as resilient and ready for inclement weather as possible.”

Wojehowski called the Bridge NY Initiative “government at its best”.