Federal study indicates thousands of US bridges in need of repair

The 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 than they are today.  Most of these bridges were designed to last 50 years.  Modern bridges are designed to last 75-100 years. By 2050, Transportation for America predicts that there will be 542,170 bridges in America that are at least 50-years-old.    

The average age for the nation’s bridges is 42-years-old.  1 in 9 of America’s bridges are rated as structurally deficient.  In the past, there have been bridges that have collapsed: in May 2013 the Interstate 5 bridge in Washington state collapsed; in 1983 the I-95 bridge over the Mianus River in Connecticut collapsed; and in 2007 the I-35W bridge in Minneapolis, Minnesota collapsed during rush hour, killing 13 people and injuring more than 100.  

Approximately 210 million trips are taken daily across structurally deficient bridges in America’s largest 102 metropolitan areas.  In order to effectively reduce the number of deficient bridges in the U.S. by 2028, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) estimates that $20.5 billion would need to be invested into bridge repair nationwide. Currently, only $12.8 billion is invested annually into nationwide bridge investments.

In March 2011, Transportation for America reported that 23 states had a higher percentage of deficient bridges than the national average of 11.5%.  The states with the most total number of bridges are: Texas, Ohio, Illinois, Kansas, and Iowa.  Nevada (2.2%), Florida (2.4%), and Texas (3%) have the smallest percentage of bridges that are classified as structurally deficient.

At 26.5%, Pennsylvania has the largest percentage of deteriorating bridges of any state in the U.S.  Pennsylvania is followed by Oklahoma (22%), Iowa (21.7%), Rhode Island (21.6%), and South Dakota (20.3%) as the states with the highest percentage of deteriorating bridges. 

“Bridges aren’t built to last forever,” says Peter Vanderzee, CEO of Lifespan Technologies in Alpharetta, Georgia.  Vanderzee was interviewed for a September 15, 2013 Associated Press review of national bridge records.  Bridge experts say that states in the northeast part of the country face significant challenges since the infrastructure is older and the cold winter weather tends to be more severe.

The importance of having an excellent infrastructure with safe and efficient bridges should not be overlooked.  If people have access to safe and dependable transportation they can commute quicker to their jobs, visit family members, travel freely, and therefore contribute to the nation’s economic vitality.  In order for our nation’s bridges to be suitably repaired more Congressional funding is needed to provide the appropriate amount of money to fix our gradually decaying bridges.  

Sources:

* ASCE 2013 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure

* Many US bridges found to be at risk, by Associated Press reporter Joan Lowy, September 16, 2013

* Report: Over 65,000 U.S. bridges in need of repair – Associated Press, September 15, 2013

* Transportation for America