ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) - New York Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli says
the state has shortchanged highway and bridge projects by billions of dollars over nearly two decades.

DiNapoli says almost $4 billion will need to be transferred by the state to the Highway and Bridge Trust Fund by 2014 to meet the obligations of the fund, created in 1991 to pay for construction and rehabilitation of state-owned roads and bridges.

He says just $11.6 billion, or just under 35 percent of the fund's total, has gone directly toward infrastructure over the past 18 years. The rest has been diverted to debt payments and operations of the state transportation and motor vehicles departments.

$72.8 million for the North-South arterial is in question locally.

DiNapoli released his report Thursday on Long Island.

A call to the transportation department for comment wasn't immediately returned.

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