BY JEFF CHUDZINSKINorth Country This Week

CANTON -- Multiple bridge projects are entering the next phase of planning before work begins this spring, thanks in large part to the Bridge NY program.

Under the terms of the program, the county has secured millions of dollars to complete work on multiple bridge and culvert projects this year. Federal funds pass through the state to the county to cover 95% of all costs up to $5 million per project, with the county responsible for the remaining 5% and anything over the $5 million cap, according to Highway Department Superintendent Don Chambers.

County legislators approved a handful of budget modifications related to the projects during the Jan. 29 finance committee meeting.

"The adjustments to the county budget for these Bridge NY projects basically is a result of the announcement of the funds coming in October. At that point, when we get the projects out to bid and advertise, construction will begin and we will then do the openings in late 2023," Chambers said.

Chambers said the budget processes have been completed for the Lazy River Road bridge project that spans the Grasse River, as well as the County Route 24 and 35 bridges over Trout Brook and the County Route 22 bridge over Sawyer Creek.

For those projects, Chambers said the county will need to utilize some funds from the fund balance to ensure each project is fully funded.

"We are fortunate to have the funds to address these programs, 95% of funds from feds that pass through the state to the county," he said.

Some of those funds will be utilized for steel inspection, which takes place on site and requires the county to hire a consulting firm to go down to the manufacturing facility for inspections.

"The steel for the Lazy River Road projects is being fabricated in Pennsylvania, we need a consulting firm to go in and inspect the steel being made there," he said.

Another firm would also need to be hired to inspect the steel being manufactured in Ohio for another project, he said.

Chambers explained to legislators that the Bridge NY program places a $5 million cap on each project and any expense over that is to be covered by the county. Despite 95% of the project normally being covered by federal funds, in some instances the county will have to cover a little bit extra on projects, he said.

"Sometimes funding comes in from other sources and luckily we've got the funds to cover some capital projects," he said.

Chambers told legislators that a recent conversation with New York State Department of Transportation officials leads him to believe there is the possibility that the state may force the county to use CHIPS funds to cover the spread of a project if it exceeds the $5 million cap.

"So we are being forced to use CHIPS funds and the state is taking that money elsewhere," Legislator Joseph Lightfoot asked.

Chambers said that may not be the case but it is a possibility that CHIPS funds may have to be used to finish the essential projects.

"In the past five years, how many bridge jobs have we had that exceeded the $5 million cap," Lightfoot asked.

Chambers said none as of yet but did say in the next five years he projects that two to three projects would exceed the cap, possibly by $2-3 million each.

"We may have structures in the $8-9 million range. We have projects in the lower portion of the county that have larger structures in the park," Chambers said.

"With all of the issues with working in the park, is the state going to come forward with additional monies for the roadblocks they setup because it's in the park," Lightfoot asked.

Chambers said he was unsure how the state would address those projects but said it's not a simple solution of saying they required more money or need to save money but rather that the state should raise the ceiling for Bridge NY funding.

"The legislature should talk to our state reps about it. We need to adjust for inflation as well. If we change the ceiling for these projects to exceed the $5 million cap we would be better off," Chambers said.

Though the current bridge and culvert projects are full steam ahead, Chambers said he isn't slowing down on future projects.

According to Chambers, the highway department has applied for another batch of projects through Bridge NY, all of which would not exceed the current $5 million cap.

Those bridge and culvert projects would likely be completed in 2025, he said.

As part of his discussions with NYS DOT, Chambers said he was asked to discuss with the board just how far they would be willing to go if grant funding falls short to complete the projects.

"They want to know what we would do. It will let the DOT be assured that when a project is awarded, the county would complete it," he said.

Chambers said that may mean more projects would be funded in the future, allowing the county to upgrade infrastructure with some federal aid instead of waiting for full funding on the project years down the road.