Sen. Little calls for investment in Champlain bridge

ALBANY -- New York state Sen. Elizabeth O'C. Little says the sudden closure of a half-mile bridge spanning Lake Champlain in Essex County is isolating the communities that rely on it and harming nearby businesses.

She says the closure -- forcing an 80-mile detour -- proves other communities could have the same problems from failing roads and infrastructure.

Little, a Warren County Republican, says New York state has 110 other bridges with safety ratings the same or worse than the Crown Point bridge, now considered too dangerous for traffic.

Republicans have long argued the state is sapping the highway and bridge funds for the state budget, resulting in less money for upstate infrastructure. 

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)