President Obama visited the Tappan Zee Bridge Wednesday afternoon to make the case that the government is running out of money to repair the nation's crumbling infrastructure.
The aging bridge is undergoing a $4 billion reconstruction.
The president says more federal spending will help avert a looming crisis that could stifle economic growth and torment commuters.
The cost of repairing the major Hudson River crossing point, which opened to traffic in 1955, is largely being financed by bonds, which commuters fund through higher tolls.
In addition to promoting a four-year, $302 billion transportation plan that he wants Congress to back, the president wants to cut red tape and delays in permitting.
On Tuesday, Vice President Joe Biden said in St. Louis that "we've stalled" on public works projects, while highlighting a $410 million renovation to the Gateway Arch funded largely by donations.
