Bear Mountain Bridge Isn’t Falling Down

By Mrs. I. Perl

The last few months have seen several scary incidents involving bridges, including the Baltimore Bridge collapse, a Manhattan bridge that was stuck in an open position due to the heat, and more. These frightening news stories cause people’s distrust of these massive structures to grow, and many start questioning the conditions of the bridges near them, wanting reassurance that the same thing wouldn’t happen at local bridges. 

A detailed infrastructure study was published by the New York State Comptroller in the last few days, which stated that New York State invests a large amount of money every year in the ongoing maintenance of its bridges. In 2023, the estimated total cost for the upkeep of all New York bridges was close to $29 billion. 

The report also studied the number of bridges in each county that are rated in poor condition. Orange County was near the top of the list, with 31 out of its 206 bridges classified as being in poor condition. The Mid-Hudson region has received around $213 million in funding for bridge maintenance and renovation. 

Any bridge that is not deemed as safe is immediately closed down, which should alleviate passengers’ stress while crossing bridges. The Bear Mountain Bridge for example, which spans the Hudson River between Orange and Westchester counties, was completed in 1924. The bridge has been used to test new, innovative methods to lengthen the life of the bridge’s cables and lessen the need for constant inspection and renovation. 

When asked about the possibility of a calamity like the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse happening at the Bear Mountain Bridge, an Authority Public Information Officer explained that the Bear Mountain Bridge’s piers are built on land and not on water, like the Baltimore bridge, and therefore makes such an accident unlikely.