NY State Withholds Critical Bridge Reports for 3 Years

Old bridgePhoto byChad PeltolaonUnsplash

A report on bridge inspection and safety, called the Graber report, is required to be compiled and filed each year by the Transportation Department. The law requiring the report was created following the tragic collapse of the New York State Thruway bridge over the Schoharie Creek in 1987, in which 10 people lost their lives. Rushing floodwaters had undermined the bridge pilings, allowing four cars and a tractor trailer to plunge off the gap and into the ravine.

The reports are supposed to be filed every year, none have been since 2020. When queried, the NYS Assembly and Senate Transportation Committees had no knowledge of why the reports had not been submitted.

Shortly after inquiries began, the reports suddenly appeared on the Dept. of Transportation website, according to the Channel 6 news website, who investigated.

The tranportation Commissioner said they were trying to be throrough, and that future reports would have every effort made for timely release. Given the questionable state of some of New York's bridges, one hopes they are at least reading the reports internally.