Aging local roadways and bridges were on the agenda Tuesday during an Iona College forum.

The conference, which featured former New York Gov. George Pataki and former Majority Leader Dick Gephardt, comes after a piece of an overpass fell onto the Bronx River Parkway Sunday in Yonkers. While part of the roadway is back open, officials say it highlights a bigger problem.

"We've always had problems with flooding and other things," Pataki said of the parkway. "You have to be proactive."

The fate of the more-than-50-year-old Tappan Zee Bridge was also discussed. Officials say it's overused, old and underfunded. According to speakers, the Tappan Zee is similar in design to the Minnesota bridge that collapsed in 2007, killing 13 people.

"We have to have a recommitment of both the private and public sector to rebuild and we need new structures," Gephardt said.