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CORTLANDT, N.Y. --Area residents will pay a bit more to cross the Bear Mountain Bridge starting Monday.
The New York State Bridge Authority approved a 25 cent increase for EZ Pass users and a 50 cent increase for those who pay cash to cross the bridge, which connects the Westchester/Putnam County border on the east side of the Hudson River to Orange County on the west side.
The toll increase also goes into effect for the other Hudson River bridges operated by the New York State Bridge Authority: The Mid-Hudson Bridge, the Newburgh-Beacon Bridge, the Kingston-Rhinecliff Bridge and the Rip Van Winkle Bridge.
The main reason for the increase is to help pay for bridge maintenance, officials said. The authority said it does not receive local, state or federal funding and that all maintenance is paid for through tolls. The authority is planning to replace the southbound span of the Newburgh-Beacon Bridge, an $80 million project paid for through bonds that tolls will eventually pay back.
The 87-year-old Bear Mountain Bridge has seen a toll increase twice in its existence, the authority said, the most recent of which was a 25 cent increase in 2001.
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