Shocking 26% of U.S. Bridges "Structurally Deficient"

Shocking information has been announced Thursday in a press release from the American Road and Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA). As most people know, the bridge collapse in Minneapolis earlier this week has frightened a lot of people and has motivated a renewed look at the condition of our bridges across the United States. One of the scariest things about the bridge collapse is the fact that it could have happened to any one of us. Millions of Americans use bridges in one form or another, many on their daily commutes to work.

ARTBA released that there are 594,709 bridges throughout the United States. Of those bridges, 152,945 (26%) are described as being "structurally deficient or functionally obsolete" according to data from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) in 2006. Further, of the approximately 961,382 federal-aid road miles, 161,750 (17%) are reported as requiring resurfacing or reconstruction.

Defining the terms above is important when thinking about the potential consequences of a faulty bridge. "Structurally deficient" is defined as a bridge that has load-carrying elements that have deteriorated or have been damaged so as to be described as being in a poor condition. This term also describes those bridges that cause intolerable traffic conditions due to an "extremely insufficient" waterway opening. "Structurally deficient" bridges require ongoing maintenance in order to serve their function.

"Functionally obsolete" bridges are said to result from changes in traffic demand on the bridge. For example, a bridge designed in the early 1900s would be designed according to the standards of the earlier time period, and therefore may not be as effective in handling current traffic demands. The press release states that the difference between the current demand of a bridge and the demand required when the bridge was designed creates deficiencies in many bridges across the U.S.

Bridge collapses are fortunately something we Americans have not had to think too much about. The tragedy in Minneapolis has awakened us to a sense of a possible responsibility we have to see that the bridges we frequent for work, recreation, or otherwise are properly taken care of. Any bridge damage can certainly be reported to your state governmental organization for further inquiry. Frequent monitoring and maintenance is a must to keep our roads safe. However, the bridge collapse this week was a rarity in our history and we should continue to direct our thoughts towards those involved in that terrible tragedy.

Sources:

PR Newswire Press Release, http://media.prnewswire.com/en/jsp/latest.jsp?beat=BEAT_ALL&view=LATEST&resourceid=3528784&packageid=1012497

ARTBA Website, http://www.artba.org/