Purpose

To determine the extent of implementation of the four recommendations included in our initial report, Inspecting Highway Bridges and Repairing Defects (2012-S-34).

Background

Our initial audit issued on May 19, 2014, found that the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (Authority) did not follow the New York State Department of Transportation (Department) requirements for classifying, reporting and repairing bridge defects. Instead, the Authority followed its own methods, but did not always comply with the Department’s requirement for an annual interim inspection if the repairs are not completed. Further, we noted that 10 of the 17 Safety Conditions sampled were not repaired for more than two years, including three which were open for five years.

Key Finding

• Authority officials made progress in correcting the problems we identified. Of the four prior audit recommendations, two were implemented, one was partially implemented, and one was not implemented.

Key Recommendation

• Officials are given 30 days after the issuance of the follow-up review to provide information on any actions that are planned to address the unresolved issues discussed in this review.