N.Y. governor declares state of emergency for deteriorated bridge

The sudden closure of a bridge that runs between New York and Vermont has caused New York’s governor to declare a state of emergency.

The Lake Champlain Bridge was closed indefinitely on Friday when inspectors found cracking in two of the piers. The span, which links Crown Point, N.Y., with Addison, Vt., has been under repair since the summer and traffic was reduced to one lane.

Gov. David Paterson made the declaration on Wednesday, Oct. 21, which will allow the state to temporarily suspend many regulations or competitive contracting rules that would regularly apply to the bridge and anything that might be put into place to alleviate the situation.

“I am firmly committed to protecting the safety of those who drive across the bridge daily,” Paterson said in a news release. “With this disaster declaration, we are working to expedite repairs and to provide the highest level of assistance possible to the community.”

With the bridge now closed motorists are facing a back-breaking 100-mile detour on Rte. 4.