About 59,000 U.S. bridges that serve to make life easier are considered structurally deficient, a recent report has found.
The American Road and Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) issued the report Thursday, saying that 58,495 out of 609,539 bridges across the U.S. need repairs since 2015.
Although the number is 2,574 lesser than the more than 61,000 worn-out bridges reported in 2014, the current statistics still speak volumes. After all, 58,495 is still a huge number that cannot be ignored. In fact, if the deficient bridges would be laid out in one straight line, it would occupy 1,340 miles from New York to Miami.
Rank Leaders
The state with the most number of deficient bridges is Iowa with 5,025. The four remaining states to complete the top five are Pennsylvania with 4,783, Oklahoma with 3,776, Missouri with 3,222 and Nebraska with 2,474.
Percentage-wise, the top 5 leaders of deficient bridges include Rhode Island (23.2 percent), Pennsylvania (21 percent), Iowa at (20.7 percent), South Dakota at (19.7 percent) and Oklahoma at (16.4 percent).
Meaning Of "Deficient Bridges"
Vehicles including big trucks and high-speed emergency vehicles are estimated to travel to and from these deficient bridges for over 200 million times per day.
Bridges found in California, Pennsylvania, Maryland and New York are among the most heavily passed bridges that need repairs.
So what do authorities mean by deficient bridges? Is it serious enough to prohibit the public from using these bridges in the name of safety?
Well, people who pass by these bridges do not necessarily need to come up with a new travel route anytime soon. Deficient bridges are not exactly on the brink of falling down, but are in need of repairs.
Authorities grade bridges from zero to nine. Those that score four and below are considered structurally deficient.
Available Budget, Questionable Continuity
The U.S. Congress has already approved a $305 billion budget for a highway bill in December 2015. The project will run for five years and is said to be vital because the federal government provides approximately 50 percent of the funding for such concerns.
Despite this, ARTBA's lead economist Alison Black is concerned because state transportation departments may minimize big projects in four years if continuous funding is not secured. "Congress basically put a Band-aid on it," she says.
Based on estimates of transportation sectors, there is a $115 million repair backlogs for structurally deficient and functionally obsolete bridges across the U.S.
Photo: Curtis MacNewton | Flickr
