Supporters of the “Yes on 1” campaign to pass a constitutional amendment in Massachusetts that would put a 4 percent surtax on incomes over $1 million held a virtual press conference today to highlight the need for bridge repairs across the state.
Using data from the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT), a study by the Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center found the state has 644 structurally deficient bridges, and while it is a widespread problem the disrepair is particularly acute in the western regions.
The Berkshires and Hill Towns have the highest percentage of structurally deficient bridges and the Connecticut River Valley has the highest actual number of spans in need of repair or replacement, according to the report.
A structurally deficient bridge is not inherently unsafe, but it is at greater risk for structural failure, future closing or weight restrictions.
Bridges in Massachusetts are old – 75 years is the average age of the structurally deficient ones – and subject to increasingly harsher weather, said Phineas Baxandall, Senior Analyst & Advocacy Director with the Budget and Policy Center.
“I wish I could say these problems are currently set to get better, but on the contrary the report is full of official findings from state authorities that how without additional investment conditions will deteriorate in coming years,” Baxandall said.
Question 1 on the November ballot in Massachusetts, dubbed the Fair Share Amendment by proponents and often referred to as the millionaires’ tax, would direct the revenue raised to be spent on transportation and public education.
During Wednesday’s virtual press conference, several speakers participated from the locations of structurally deficient bridges.
Great Barrington resident Michael Wise, the Town Meeting Moderator who serves on several local boards, said there are 7 bridges in the town that span the Housatonic River and all are structurally deficient or “functionally obsolete.”
“We really could use the money from the Fair Share Amendment,” he said. “We’d like to be first in line.”
In Springfield, advocates highlighted a bridge that carries St. James Ave. over an abandoned railroad bed. Ethel Everett said it is a vital link between the McKnight neighborhood and the commercial centers in Liberty Heights and East Springfield.
“If this bridge were to deteriorate to the point of closure, if would seriously impede the commuting and force residents to go well out of their way to reach grocery stores, to reach their houses of worship, to reach schools, to reach other retail stores that are not in the neighborhood,” Everett said.
The Budget and Policy Center report said that racial and ethnic minority residents live closer, on average, to a structurally deficient bridge than the general population.
MassDOT has scheduled for replacement the bridge that was highlighted in Springfield during Wednesday’s press conference. The agency’s website said the $4 million project is in the preliminary design phase with construction to start in 2027.
Massachusetts is to receive from the federal infrastructure law $1.1 billion over the next five years for bridge projects.
It won’t be enough to address the backlog of deteriorating bridges, said Pete Wilson of the advocacy organization Transportation for Massachusetts.
“The impact of those dollars has already been reduced by rising inflation and the cost of goods,” Wilson said adding, “we can not rely on a once-in-a-generation investment from the federal government.”
Opponents of Question 1 argue that it won’t necessarily result in a net increase in spending on transportation and education and is unneeded given the giant budget surplus the state already has.
