An increase in funding from the state and lower asphalt prices will help the county catch up on road repaving over the next five years, Highway Superintendent Tim Hens told the County Legislature's Public Service Committee Monday afternoon.
This year, the county will have slightly more than $2 million available for road and bridge projects, that's a 25-percent increase over last year.
The state is sending the county an additional $382,000 as part of a Pave NY program initiated this year and intended to increase funding to local governments for five years.
At the same time, the cost of asphalt has dropped by about 20 percent, Hens said.
"This will let us catch up over the next five years and get us where we ought to be," Hens said.
Maintenance has been deferred on many roads in recent years because of tight revenue and high asphalt prices.
That will help with the roads, but what about the bridges?
The county is responsible for 284 bridges (including culverts) and about 50 percent are deficient, Hens said.
The county needs about $15 million for bridge repair and maintenance, and while the state is starting a Bridge NY program, it won't meet all of the county's needs.
"Eventually, the county will probably have to bond some money or do something long term in the millions of dollars to catch up on those bridges," Hens said.
Many of the county's bridges are 65 to 70 years old.
"They're running out of life and you take a bridge here or there on some of those rural roads and some of the detours get pretty long really quick," Hens said.
