REPORT: More than 25% of US bridges are "structurally deficient or functionally obsolete"
Here's some bad news for all of us: Over 150,000 bridges in the U.S. have been judged to be "structurally deficient or functionally obsolete." And get this, there are less than 598,000 bridges in America. That means 25.7% aren't in very good shape. It turns out that the state with the most structurally deficient or functionally obsolete (SD/FO) bridges is Texas, with 9,564 such bridges. However, Texas is ginormous – almost half the size of Alaska – and therefore has a lot of bridges, but the percentage of Texan SD/FO bridges is 19%. And that's significantly lower than the national average.
What state has the most SD/FO bridges? Betcha never would have guessed the District of Columbia. For one thing, it's not even a state! For another, you'd think being in such close proximity to all that Washingtonian largesse would be good for something. Turns out, not. Anyhow, 55% of the bridges in our nation's capital are going to fall down/fail sooner than later says The Better Roads Bridge Inventory survey.
The actual State with the highest percentage of bad bridges is Rhode Island with 53%. Pennsylvania takes second place honors with 39%. The really bad news, according to the frighteningly detailed article, is that all these numbers might be low.
[Source: Better Roads via The Car Connection | Image: Scott Olson/Getty]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
Venom 10:35AM (11/11/2009)
If the bridges in Michigan are half as bad as the roads, then we are screwed.
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Victor 12:17PM (11/11/2009)
Stop complaining. Those aren't collapsed bridges you see, they're dukes-of-hazzard style jump ramps!
dukeisduke 10:41AM (11/11/2009)
Wow, just wow.
BTW, the title of the picture is, "2007-minn-bridge-collapse-630.jpg", but it looks to me like the sign says "24". Weird.
Part of the reason for the better condition of our bridges here in Texas is due to the fact that we don't get much snow, so corrosion from salt isn't an issue. Also, you don't see that many old bridges here.
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johnmichael.jfc 10:44AM (11/11/2009)
This is really bad. I'm only 16, but for this among many reasons, I want to become a transport engineer. I think the U.S is in desperate need of good ones. Besides the fact that I've loved cars since I was old enough to talk, that would give me an opportunity to do something that involves them too. And it helps everybody else. I remember traveling to Europe a lot and seeing other rules and regulations and designs and noting how much more ahead they were. We need to catch up, not just for the image of our country, but also for everyone's safety and well being on the roads.
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Rich 11:00AM (11/11/2009)
Good for you. You cheered up an old cynic.
Wobbly_ears 11:13AM (11/11/2009)
As a Transportation Engineer, I am so glad to hear young'uns like you being interested. I get to see how this nation's infrastructure is crumbling & everyone seems oblivious to it. We Transportation Engineers have been crying ourselves hoarse trying get someone to pay attention to these dangerous roads & bridges.
Everyone who drives, each and every one of you & me, are literally putting our lives at danger by driving on these deficient bridges.
Just ignoring the fact doesn't help. Improve the infrastructure NOW!
mk15 11:30AM (11/11/2009)
Go for it, my friend who is a city planner (civil engineer) needs reinforcements in an uphill battle. He told me that politicians ignore mounds of evidence that roads and bridges need upgrading/changing because they (politicians) just want to have it painted over, out of sight, out of mind. By the time the paint starts to peel, the problem is passed to the next people in the office. But a lot of the problems stem from governments (federal/state/municipal) not putting enough funding, or they simply have no money.
Sometimes I wonder how the governments ever afforded building bridges in the first place.
Photo Phil 11:30AM (11/11/2009)
Good to hear, go for it.
I should have done civil engineering myself, (instead I did mechanical engineering, and work in the heavy truck/auto industry) I cannot stand the way our stop lights are timed/designed. I highly doubt the person who's designed the stoplight actually drives on that road to see all the backups stoplights can cause.
Rick C. 12:46PM (11/11/2009)
I salute you for wanting to get into an engineering position. The country has lost it path in the sciences in the last 30 years. Another plus. You PHYSICALLY have to be on site. That job can't be outsourced by corporate America or government.
HAWC1506 2:01AM (11/12/2009)
I may have just found myself a new best friend. I'm 17, an aspiring structural civil engineer, and feel the exact same way about our roads...and it stems from my trip to Europe as well.
I'm in Washington State, which has had its fair share of bridge collapses (Tacoma Narrows, I-90 floating bridge), but we're in pretty dire shape for the future too. Two major bridges in our area (Alaskan Way Viaduct and SR520 floating bridge) are on the verge of collapsing.
Jacob 10:44AM (11/11/2009)
Woot! Go RI!! We're number 1! We're number 1!!
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atomicshark 10:45AM (11/11/2009)
I drive by the Throgs Neck Bridge in Queens every day. I see all the work they are doing to maintain it, but seeing all the cracked concrete and rusted parts holding it together scares the hell out of me.
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zamafir 10:47AM (11/11/2009)
Is anyone surprised? At all? We've got the worst infrastructure in the first world transport, teclo, you name it. But improving it takes monies, lots of monies, and taxes are bad. Oh well, i'll avoid the bridges, except that new bridge across megatron's cell, that looks too big to fail.
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mk15 10:58AM (11/11/2009)
Even if there was capital for maintenance, a lot of the bridges would still be "inadequate" in pristine conditions. Saw this on a news report about bridges in America and a lot of bridges still in use today are from the 60s and earlier. Even in pristine conditions, these bridges don't meet today's safety standards. Additionally, the planned lifespan for some of these bridges have been exceeded. Some where designed to be in use for "only" 40 years. Engineers didn't design some of the bridges to be used for so long.
Smegley 12:27PM (11/11/2009)
Hey, I'm all for cutting welfare, NEA, and NPR funds and repairing bridges. In fact how abotu cutting all entitlements, fixing the bridges, and then cutting my taxes. That would work, but there are so many dependent idiots for whom the govt steals from me and others that it will never happen, so I say let the bridges crumble.
Add to that you get structural engineers out there with the specific task of producing a fearful study to secure govt funds for their area of expertise thus securing their employment and what do you think you are going to get?
rodan32 12:57PM (11/11/2009)
Didn't we just get 700 billion for "stimulus"? Where did all that money go? That would fix a LOT of bridges if it weren't going to other crazy pork projects.
zamafir 2:22PM (11/11/2009)
"Add to that you get structural engineers out there with the specific task of producing a fearful study to secure govt funds for their area of expertise thus securing their employment and what do you think you are going to get?"
I'm not entirely sure. I've only been in land development and entitlement for a decade and have yet to meet such structural engineers, currently employed or in training/education. I’m curious in what city/district is this sort of thing is a common occurrence? Seeing developers or planners attempt to cast negative or positive findings in their own light? Sure, it’s almost like marketing, but the actual engineers? I’m quite curious.
Polly Prissy Pants 8:30PM (11/11/2009)
"I'm all for cutting welfare, NEA, and NPR funds and repairing bridges."
Me too, but only if we can also cut military spending by 60%. You OK with that?
lne937s 3:36PM (11/11/2009)
"Where did all that money go?"
$288 Billion went to tax cuts, in large part for the AMT waiver for upper middle class taxpayers (the Republican's big "bipartisan" contribution)
$224 Billion went to extend unemployment benefits and other entitlements that were underfunded due to the recession
$275 Billion went to everything else... However, most of the money spent so far has gone to education to prevent laying off teachers- primarily in states that have various fiscal constraints (like balanced budget ammendments) that prevent them from raising the necessary funds...
About $30 billion goes to transportation- $8.5 to public transportation and $1.1 to FAA...
In the end, only $20 Billion goes to highways and bridges... However, the states are the ones spending the money and very few of the projects have started in order for it to be spent.
spb 3:41PM (11/11/2009)
"I'm not entirely sure. I've only been in land development and entitlement for a decade and have yet to meet such structural engineers, currently employed or in training/education. I’m curious in what city/district is this sort of thing is a common occurrence? Seeing developers or planners attempt to cast negative or positive findings in their own light? Sure, it’s almost like marketing, but the actual engineers? I’m quite curious."
Open your eyes and you will see it everyday. The BIA and Engineering orgs (forget their acronym) are some of the largest lobbies and ruining our cities. I work with city engineers everyday, and they are still using 1950s manuals like they are bibles - the only solution to traffic is wider streets and water is bigger pipes. Engineers are morons - they have no idea that people live in cities.