Federal study indicates thousands of US bridges in need of repair
T he federal government’s most recent National Bridge Inventory report indicated that there are thousands of bridges nationwide that are in need of repair. Of the 607,380 bridges that were examined in the survey, 65,605 were categorized as “structurally deficient” and 20,808 were determined to be at risk of developing a fracture in a crucial component or “fracture critical.” A total of 7,795 bridges were classified as both structurally deficient and fracture critical. A bridge is characterized as being fracture critical when it lacks redundant protections and is at risk of collapse if only one component fails. Structurally deficient bridges are in need of rehabilitation or replacement because at least one major component of the bridge has advanced deterioration. A large number of fracture critical bridges were built during the 1950s to 1970s during construction of the interstate highway system. During this era, construction materials and costs were far less expensive