Source: United States Senator for New York Charles E Schumer
Ogdensburg International Bridge Is A Major Link Between North Country & Canada Supporting The Flow Of Over $4 Billion In Goods And 800K Vehicles Every Year; But Aging Structure Requires Critical Repairs For Bridge To Remain Operational
Schumer Championed Re-Opening The Border As We Emerge From COVID; Fed Funding Will Contribute To Repairs That Bolster Long-Term Sustainability And Lifespan Of The Bridge, Revive Regional Tourism, North Country Businesses, And Economic Flow With Canada To Recover From Pandemic
Schumer: Repairs To The Ogdensburg Bridge Will Create Good-Paying Jobs & Boost North Country Economy Before It Proves A Bridge Too Far
U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer today announced that following his personal request he has secured $3,000,000 for the Ogdensburg Bridge and Port Authority (OBPA) for construction and repairs to the Ogdensburg-Prescott International Bridge. Schumer said that protecting the infrastructure of this link between the U.S. and Canada is essential to the North Country and all of Upstate New York’s economy, which depend on access to Canada. These repairs will create local jobs, protect New York businesses, strengthen tourism, ensure the continued flow of goods with our largest international trading partner, Canada, and is critical for the economic well-being of the entire Northern New York region.
“The Ogdensburg International Bridge is one of Upstate New York’s most vital ports of entry, but its aging infrastructure puts North Country businesses, our tourism industry, and billions in cross-border trade at stake. That is why I am so proud to be able to personally deliver $3 million to make critical upgrades to this vital link to Canada before repairs prove a bridge to far,” said Senator Schumer. “This much needed investment will keep visitors and commerce flowing into the North Country, especially as we emerge from the pandemic and the border restrictions, make roads safer for everyone, create local jobs, bolster the economic recovery of the region, and ensure that these upkeeps will be nothing more than water under the bridge.”
Schumer said that an excess of $4 billion in goods are shipped between the U.S. and Canada annually over the Ogdensburg-Prescott International Bridge and over 800,000 vehicles cross the bridge annually, making this port of entry essential to the economic vitality of the North Country, New York, and America as a strategic point of trade. Schumer explained that the $3 million he secured for the project as part of the bipartisan omnibus-spending package for Fiscal Year 2022 will fund key construction to maintain the structural integrity of the bridge. The larger repair project that these funds will contribute to includes replacing the superstructure of the U.S. plate girder spans 1 to 8, Canadian desk truss spans 18 to 23, and the Canadian plate girder spans 24 to 32, plus cleaning and painting the Canadian plate girder spans 24 to 32, main cables, and the suspender ropes.
This new infusion of funding compliments the over $378 million for New York bridge repairs in 2022 alone that the senator secured in the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act that OBPA can tap into. The Infrastructure Law also provides funding for many additional relevant programs including $12.5 billion for a national competitive bridge program for states and localities. The popular RAISE (Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity) grants, formerly known as BUILD or TIGER, fund transportation projects of national and regional significance and are funded in the bill at $7.5 billion over five years. The INFRA (Infrastructure for Rebuilding America) grant program, another competitive program that funds transportation projects with a strong connection to improving freight operations, is funded at $3.2 billion.
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