No quick repair for aging bridges

Bridges in New York and across America are well into middle age, and much like some people of that certain age, are deteriorating faster than they are being cared for.

A report issued Tuesday by the not-for-profit group Transportation for America put New York near the average nationally, with about 12 percent of the state's 17,365 bridges rated as structurally deficit. That is better than the worst, Pennsylvania, at 27 percent, but far from the best, Nevada, at 2 percent.

Deficient bridges are not deemed imminently unsafe, but require repairs or posting for reduced vehicle weights. The average bridge in the U.S. is 42 years old, and most were built to a useful life of 50 years, which can be extended through regular maintenance, or shortened by a lack of it.

Even though New York has more than 2,000 deficient bridges, the state did not make the report's list of the worst 100 U.S. counties. Also, Albany County ranked much better than the national average and was fourth among the state's 62 counties, with just 4.2 percent of its 342 bridges ranked as deficient.

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Transport and roads to be focus of first 100 days

BARRY O'FARRELL will outline the plan for his government's first 100 days in office by the middle of the week, once his cabinet has been sworn in.

However, a number of incoming ministers had met departmental heads before the vote, with work believed to be under way within the public service on some of the policies and programs outlined by the Coalition.

Yesterday the Premier-elect said a plan was being finalised, with the focus on public transport and roads.
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''My biggest priority will remain transport,'' he said.

However, a Herald/Nielsen poll last week found that half of voters wanted the government to focus on the health system, against 19 per cent for transport and 17 per cent for education.

The survey also found that given a choice between maintaining the state's ''triple-A'' credit rating and ''borrowing to fund infrastructure'', 63 per cent chose funding, with just 29 per cent wanting the triple-A rating maintained.

Mr O'Farrell conceded there was pressure to fix the health system, while pointing out this is not a matter for the state government alone.

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