Infrastructure Structurally Compromised
The American Road & Transportation Builders Association analyzed the most recent data on bridges from the U.S. Department of Transportation. Their report paints a picture of a country with an alarming number of structurally deficient bridges.
According to their research 55,710 bridges have been declared structurally compromised. Of those, approximately 13,000 have been identified as needing total replacement, widening, or other major construction.
1,900 of the structurally deficient bridges are part of the Interstate Highway System. 28% of U.S. bridges are over 50 years old and have yet to have any major repair work done on them. Iowa has the highest number of structurally deficient bridges, followed by other midwestern states.
“America’s highway network is woefully underperforming,” said Alison Premo Black, the group’s chief economist who conducted the analysis. “It is outdated, overused, underfunded and in desperate need of modernization.”
To view extensive bridge information in specific states, visit www.artba.org
