Governor Announces Accelerated Road & Bridge Projects In NYC As Part of NY Works Program

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo this week announced an additional and accelerated $489,445,820 investment for projects that will repair 84 miles of roads and one bridge in New York City and create thousands of jobs.

For the transportation component of NY Works, the Department of Transportation (DOT) reviewed its Capital Program and identified those projects, which can be accelerated by utilizing either the conventional design-bid-build project delivery mechanism or the newly-enacted design-build project delivery method.

NY Works will reinvent state economic development with an innovative new strategy that will put New Yorkers back to work rebuilding the state's infrastructure. The Task Force will create tens of thousands of jobs by coordinating comprehensive capital plans, overseeing all investment in infrastructure projects, and accelerating hundreds of critical projects across the state.

The Budget includes key economic development and transportation initiatives, important reforms to improve government efficiency, and measures to strengthen communities across the state.

NY WORKS

Establishes the NY Works Task Force

The NY Works Task Force will coordinate capital plans across 45 agencies and authorities, oversee investment in projects and access to funding, and facilitate the creation of tens of thousands of jobs.

Prior to the NY Works initiative, there was no comprehensive state plan for the $16 billion in annual capital expenditures by 45 state agencies and authorities. In some cases, including with respect to projects by the Port Authority, the MTA, and the Department of Transportation, billions of dollars of taxpayer or commuter funds were being used to fund transportation plans in the same region with no coordination between the agencies. For the first time, the NY Works Task Force will develop a coordinated capital infrastructure plan among agencies and authorities. The Task Force, made up of leaders in finance, labor, planning and transportation will also recommend financing options for projects and methods to accelerate construction of critical infrastructure.

The NY Works Task Force will consist of fifteen members. Nine of the members will be appointed by the Governor and six by the Legislature. All major state agencies and authorities will participate in an implementation council to coordinate capital planning.

All NY Works projects will be posted on the web with real-time updates so that New Yorkers can track the progress of projects in their community. The full list will be posted online over the next several days.

Rebuild Roads and Bridges

The Budget funds the NY Works program with $247 million in state capital funds and $917 million in new Federal funds for a total of $1.2 billion in new spending to accelerate repair, replacement and improvement of deficient roads and bridges. This funding is over and above the $1.6 billion already allocated this year to the core transportation capital program for road and bridge projects.

This program is in addition to the advancement of the Tappan Zee Bridge replacement project that will inject billions more into the regional and state economy.

The additional $1.2 billion in accelerated projects will include: $212 million to address bridge deck and structural replacement or rehabilitation needs on approximately 115 bridges; $250 million for more than 2,000 miles of low cost pavement preservation and pavement treatments; and $687 million for transportation projects of regional or statewide significance throughout the state that had been delayed due to resource constraints.

The NY Works Accelerated Bridge and Pavement Preservation program will expedite projects to immediately create jobs, address critical infrastructure needs, and achieve savings. The Accelerated Bridge and Pavement Preservation program represents a different way of doing business for New York State. Rather than executing 100 different contracts for 100 different bridges, projects will be consolidated under regional contracts – a more efficient process that will enable the state to complete critical projects on time and on budget.

As part of the NY Works program, the Accelerated Bridge program is an innovative capital program delivery approach designed to reduce the backlog of deficient bridges in New York State that require replacement. The program will rehabilitate or replace many bridges over a quick time frame resulting in eliminating future maintenance costs as well as create thousands of constructions jobs and stimulate the New York State economy. Currently, 2,500 or 32 percent of the State's bridges are rated deficient. The bridges will be bundled into six statewide Design-Bid-Build contracts and four Design-Build contracts in four geographic areas: Long Island, Hudson Valley, Central and Western New York, and the North Country and Capital Region.

In addition, NY Works establishes a $250 million investment in a Pavement Preservation program that will improve nearly 2,000 additional lane miles of pavement conditions, which is equivalent to a round trip from New York City to Orlando, Florida. Forty percent of the state's pavement surfaces are rated deficient. Similar to the Accelerated Bridge program, paving and resurfacing contracts will be let throughout the State, creating jobs in every region.

The accelerated NY Works Transportation Projects in New York City are as follows:

NYC Bridges Kosciuszko Bridge Replacement: Through the use of design build on the Kosciuszko Bridge project, the Department will enabled to begin this fiscal year, and through efficiences gained via acceleration, all traffic will be shifted off of the exiting viaduct onto the new structure before 2017.  $460,000,000
NYC Roads Prospect Expwy (NY27): Gowanus Expwy to Church Ave. & West Shore Expwy (NY440): Rossville Ave. to Staten Island Expwy - Richmond & Kings Counties Pavement Preservation Treatment $15,722,825
NYC Roads Major Deegan Expwy (I-87): Bruckner Expwy to Fordham Rd & Mosholu Pkwy to Bronx Co. Line - Bronx County Pavement Preservation Treatment $13,722,995

Specific criteria for including a project in the NY Works Fund are as follows:

Accelerated bridge projects:
• It is on the State deficient bridge list.
• Projects that can begin construction in 2012 to immediately reduce the number of deficient bridges.
• Eligible for federal funding.
• Approximately 110 bridges can be rebuilt under the accelerated program.
• Half of the projects will use the State's new "design-build" authority to speed project completion

Accelerated pavement preservation projects:
• Statewide roadway segments rated fair or poor
• Best and lowest cost treatments, such single course overlay, mill and fill, etc.
• Eligible for federal funding.
• 2000 miles of road repaired

Accelerated regional projects:
• Projects of regional significance were programmed for outer years only because of lack of funds, but can be accelerated into 2012 to immediately create jobs, deal with critical infrastructure and yield savings.

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