Mid-Hudson News reports that a state official that wants a merger of the New York State Bridge Authority into the Thruway Authority claimed the bridge authority money would not end up subsidizing the Thruway operations. Local officials have lambasted the proposal, noting that the Thruway Authority is currently in financial stress after replacing the Tappan Zee Bridge near New York City. The New York State Bridge Authority supervises five Hudson River bridges north of there, including the Rip Van Winkle Bridge that connects Greenport and Catskill. On Feb. 11, Assemblyperson Didi Barrett and three other Mid-Hudson Valley State Assembly members sent a letter to Governor Andrew Cuomo and other legislative leaders saying that the merger, “would drastically and detrimentally affect both the economy and the overall quality of life in the region.” Matthew Driscoll, the executive director of the Thruway Authority, says those worries are unnecessary. “This is really an opportunity to streamline government services by bringing two organizations, who have overlapping roles and responsibilities and we pretty much do the same thing,” he said. Read more about this story at Mid-Hudson News.