Audit Finds Repairs Not Completed in Required Timeframes
Comptroller John C. Liu said today that an audit of the New York City Department of Transportation’s response to defects in City bridges found the agency was slow to repair serious structural defects.“The City’s bridges are a vital part of our transportation infrastructure and the public deserves bridges that are being maintained in the best possible manner,” Comptroller Liu said. “The DOT needs to do more to streamline its response to ensure the integrity and safety of our bridges.”
The agency classifies bridge defects into three categories:
• A “Red Flag” describes a failure or potential failure of a primary structural component. Red flags are to be remediated within six weeks after notification, although action may be deferred if a professional engineer certifies that the bridge is safe.
• A “Yellow Flag” describes a potentially hazardous structural conditional that, if not corrected, could present a danger before the next two-year inspection. Yellow flags do not have a specific timeframe for remediation.
• A “Safety Flag” describes a condition that presents a danger to cars or people. Safety flags do not have a specific timeframe for remediation.
• Prompt Interim Action is a designation that can be applied to a Red Flag or a Safety Flag that requires attention within 24 hours.
In 2009-2010, 229 bridge defects or flags were identified that were the responsibility of DOT. Of these, 112 were designated for Prompt Interim Actions and a 24-hour response. The agency handled all but one of these appropriately.
However, there were 122 Red Flag defects, the majority of which were delayed past their timeframe for remediation. Of these 122 serious structural defects, 71 (58%) were not fixed on time.[1] In none of these cases was there any indication that the flag conditions were being monitored to ensure that the conditions did not worsen.
Among these 122 Red Flags were five that had initially been designated less serious or Yellow but that without repairs had worsened over time. Four of these flags were at the Brooklyn Bridge and were originally flagged yellow by the State Transportation Department in May 2008. They remained open and unrepaired as of February 2012. The fifth red flag that had deteriorated from yellow was located at the Manhattan Bridge and was originally flagged yellow in November 2008. It was closed on February 8, 2012, according to DOT.
The four unrepaired Red Flags on the Brooklyn Bridge were among 13 that had yet to be remediated as of February 2012. Of these 13, the DOT stated that 10 (nine on the Brooklyn Bridge, one on the Manhattan
Bridge) were assigned to capital contracts and will be repaired based on contract schedules. These 10 flags were reported between May and November 2010 and are roughly two years old. Another two outstanding
Red Flags on the Belt Parkway in Bay Ridge were routed to the agency’s in-house Bridge Repair department and one unrepaired flag on a Henry Hudson Parkway ramp was assigned for repairs to outside contractors.
Recommendations
The audit made 17 recommendations to improve the DOT’s response to bridge defects. The agency agreed with eight recommendations, disagreed with six recommendations, and contended that three recommendations were already implemented.
Comptroller Liu credited Deputy Comptroller for Audits Tina Kim and the Audit Bureau for their hard work on the report, which can be found here: http://comptroller.nyc.gov/
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