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The Ogdensburg-Prescott International Bridge is in good shape, a report says, but needs more than $100 million worth of repairs.
Meeting Wednesday, the Ogdensburg Bridge and Port Authority reviewed a seven-page report on the 53-year-old bridges 2012 biennial inspection by the Modjeski and Masters.
The findings resulting from the 2012 biennial inspection of the Ogdensburg bridge revealed the remains in satisfactory to good condition, wrote Modjeski and Masters Senior Associate Richard A. Little to OBPA Executive Director Wade A. Davis in a letter accompanying the report.
But there are what Mr. Little called problem areas or deficiencies that, while not a safety concern, need to be repaired.
They include:
* Painting across the 1.5-mile-long span is in fair to poor condition, missing and corroding. Mr. Davis said itd cost $65 million to repair.
* Steel that has been cracked by fatigue has been repaired, but more needs to be fixed. The cost, Mr. Davis estimated, is $39 million.
* The condition of the bridges main cables and suspenders havent been investigated in-depth for 16 years. To do so would cost an estimated $900,000 and, Mr. Davis said, a possible total expense of $5 million.
Funding to pay for the repairs will be sought from what Mr. Davis called a mosaic of state and federal grants.
This is a very expensive project, he said. Well do it in phases over a number of years.