DOT asks for $100 million this year to address statewide bridge paint failure, flags multiyear cleanup need

Connecticut Department of Transportation Commissioner told the Finance, Revenue and Bonding transportation bonding subcommittee that the governor’s budget includes a $100 million addition to the Fix It First bridge line to begin addressing widespread bridge paint failures and that the request is the first year of a multi-year program to fully address the problem.

The commissioner said freeze-thaw and sudden temperature swings about a year ago caused lead-based paint to flake or ‘pop off’ many older bridges across the state; DOT identified roughly 220 bridges that need metallizing, cleanup or repainting. "We have identified 220 bridges that need to be, metallized and cleaned up, or repainted," the commissioner said. DOT estimated the full effort will cost on the order of $800 million and be paced over about eight years, with the $100 million representing the first tranche.

Chief Engineer Scott Hill told lawmakers the program focuses on structures with sufficient remaining useful life—about 25 years or more—so DOT prioritizes investments where repainting is cost-effective. Hill described market interest from contractors and said DOT expects to average roughly 16 to 28 bridge projects annually under the plan.

The commissioner also said the paint failures raised environmental and human-health concerns because the paint chips were lead-based and in some cases reached riverways. DOT said it coordinated with the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Public Health to confirm none of the affected bridges were in drinking-water territory. "We did coordinate with the DEP, EPA, and Department of Public Health," the commissioner said, "some paint did end up in some of our rivers, so we had contractors working to clean up paint flakes in those rivers as well."

Separately, DOT asked for approximately $1.5 million in additional funding for its environmental compliance program to help meet requirements under a federal EPA consent order (referred to in testimony as the 'TS4' transportation separate storm sewer systems consent order). The department said it lacks the staffing and equipment to service an estimated 120,000 stormwater basins statewide and plans to hire contractors to meet the consent-order obligations.

Lawmakers asked whether the $100 million is a one-time amount or the first of multiple allocations; the commissioner said the funding is the first of an eight-year request and will be followed by additional annual tranches to complete the prioritized list of bridges. Lawmakers pressed DOT for further project-level details and timelines; DOT indicated it will provide additional breakdowns as planning proceeds.

The subcommittee did not take any vote on the funding request during the hearing. The meeting adjourned after questioning concluded.