How Good (Or Bad) Are the Bridges in the United States?

The most recent update of Bridge Conditions by the FHWA occurred July 13,2016
( Source: Federal Highway Administration, Office of Engineering, National Bridge Inventory Data. )

They report as follows:

  1. 88,150 bridges, 15% of all bridges, are Structurally Deficient.
  2. 81,900 bridges, 14% of all bridges, are Functionally Obsolete.
  3. There are 130,224 bridges on Interstate and other Principal Arterials
  4. There are 172,171 bridges on all other highways except minor collctors, local roads, and streets.
  5. There are 283,147 bridges on rural, minor collectors, and local roads and streets.

 

Information for Selected States, Last Updated Updated: Thursday, October 13, 2016
( See All Data At Link )

State
Structurally Deficient / Functionally Obsolete Bridges*
Kentucky
4,436 of the 14,116 (31.4%)
Ohio
6,647 of the 27,015 (24.6%)
Indiana
4,168 of the 18,953 (22%)
West Virginia
2,514 of the 7,125 (35.3%)
Tennessee
3,802 of the 20,058 (19%)

 

ROADS/BRIDGES
U.S. DOT releases table
ranking road & bridge conditions by state

 

Indiana ranks No.1 for the best road conditions, while Illinois and Connecticut are tied for last place.

The nation's poor road and bridge conditions cost each motorist an average of $300 annually. Nearly half the country's roads and more than 25% of its bridges are in "poor" condition.

The Highway Trust Fund is set to expire on July 31. Without action from Congress, federal funding for transportation will be completely cut off.

Over the last six years, Congress has passed 33 short-term measures rather than funding transportation for the long term. 

 

2013 REPORT CARD FOR
AMERICA'S INFRASTRUCTURE
By ASCE

2013 GRADE FOR BRIDGES: C+

2013 GRADE FOR ALL INFRASTRUCTURE: D+
( For the complete report and many many details
for all elements of the infrastructure addressed by the report, use this link. )

Over two hundred million trips are taken daily across deficient bridges in the nation's 102 largest metropolitan regions. In total, one in nine of the nation's bridges are rated as structurally deficient , while the average age of the nation's 607,380 bridges is currently 42 years. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) estimates that to eliminate the nation's bridge deficient backlog by 2028, we would need to invest $20.5 billion annually, while only $12.8 billion is being spent currently. The challenge for federal, state, and local governments is to increase bridge investments by $8 billion annually to address the identified $76 billion in needs for deficient bridges across the United States.