Thruway at Kingston
ALBANY – It will cost about $13 billion to return the Thruway to
its original condition, yet the Thruway Authority does not have the funds
to cover upgrades to the highway that has deteriorated since it was constructed
decades ago. That is the finding of the state Comptroller’s Office
in a just-released audit.
Some portions of the superhighway and its bridges are over 60 years old
and are nearing the last stages of their projected useful lives.
In 2014, the authority spent about $1.1 billion including about $711 million
to support Thruway operations, $281 million for its capital program, and
$66 million for New York State Canal Corporation operations. The spending
did not include the new Tappan Zee Bridge project.
The audit said while the authority’s fiscal condition has shown
some improvement in recent years, “significant concerns still remain.”
The report noted the authority’s use of debt increased and as a
result, its liabilities rose almost 80 percent, from $3.5 billion in 2010
to $6.4 billion in 2014.
The authority has implemented several cost reduction strategies, but they
are limited to payroll and benefit expenses, with estimated savings of
about $26 million a year between 2010 and 2014.
Only about 10 percent of the roadway and 20 percent of the bridges have
been replaced or reconstructed.
A key recommendation by the Comptroller’s Office is to develop and
implement a long-term comprehensive strategic plan to address funding
needs to pay for repairs to and/or replacement of components of the authority’s
aging infrastructure.
The Thruway Authority responded to the audit: “We are making major
capital investments in our system including the New NY Bridge to replace
the Tappan Zee, one of the largest infrastructure projects of its kind
in the country. We are repairing bridges and roadways across the state
and keeping our commitment to having the best maintained highway system
in the country, making our highway safe for millions of motorists a year.
We’re doing all that while implementing a variety of cost reduction
strategies – all of which the Comptroller readily acknowledges in
his report.”
