ALBANY – In the wake of the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore after it was struck by a cargo ship, State Assemblyman Jonathan Jacobson (D, Newburgh) is calling on the state to review and fortify its bridges.
Jacobson said the state must be proactive and not wait for a disaster to happen.
“It’s not a question of whether the bridges are safe now to use, they are,” he said. “The question is, is whether they are protected from collisions from wayward cargo ships and tankers and whether or not they will be sturdy enough to withstand such a collision.”
Since the Baltimore disaster, officials from the New York State Bridge Authority, which operates the five Mid-Hudson Valley bridges and the structure of the Walkway Over the Hudson, said they are monitored 24/7 by the Coast Guard and law enforcement and unlikely to face such an event.
