Map of Structurally Deficient Bridges in United States

[Are_grits_groceries]

Breakdown by state and highway system of bridges: http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/BRIDGE/defbr07.cfm

http://cleantechlawandbusiness.com/cleanbeta/index.php/2342/map-of-structurally-deficient-bridges-in-united-states/

I don't think I'll ever take crossing a bridge for granted again.

[WonderGrunion]

1. Yikes

Looks like we have lots of "shovel-ready" jobs ready to go.

[Thegonagle]

2. Structurally deficient doesn't necessarily mean dangerous, but it might...

Structurally deficient could mean that the bridge has structural defects that they're keeping an eye on, but more often, it means that either it wasn't built to today's standards regarding such things as shoulder width or traffic safety, or it's width is no longer sufficient for today's traffic volumes. (And the structure does not support the upgrades required to bring up to standards, and therefore would need to be replaced to upgrade the roadway.)

There are certainly a number of bridges that are almost ready to come crumbling down, but just because a certain bridge is labeled structurally deficient doesn't mean that it'll fall if it's not replaced.

I think that our "shovel ready" projects need to be prioritized for public safety. We absolutely must rebuild infrastructure that's a threat to the population, because we know that for the past 25 years, some things have fallen into great disrepair. We should prioritize those first, not just replace every bridge that somebody says is too narrow.

[gratuitous]

13. I think there has been a rating done

I know that the Minnesota bridge that collapsed had been evaluated as deficient. There's a 100 point (I think) scoring system, and it clocked in around 35. A frequently-used bridge in my city has a rating of 2. I don't go over it, but my bicycle commute takes me under it twice a day.

There should definitely be a priority list made out, but there's no reason some of these projects can be started in the next three months. The work crews hired, the materials bought, and the machinery rented will provide little jolts to local economies all over the country. And, unlike the massive public money outlays of the Bush administration, we'll actually have something to show for it besides thousands of dead people: safer bridges and roads.

[City of Mills]

3. Some in my city

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

5. Yikes!

Are these bridges over a river or streams? A deep drop to water?

[City of Mills]

6. Located over both rivers and canals

One bridge is about a 30 ft. drop into a 20ft. deep canal with strong undercurrents (the bridge with the holes in the sidewalk).

Another is about a 45-50 ft. drop onto shallow rocks (bridge with orange traffic barrels)

The bridge with the closed sidewalk is just over the mouth of a canal, my friend's sister accidentally drove her car off it about 20 years ago and died.

We have other bridges closed and being worked on in the spring, two of our main bridges which cross the river. In all, there's either 174 or 184 total bridges in the city, can't remember exactly. But we have a river and several canals throughout the city so it's a lot to keep up with.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

4. Guess I'll go back to holding my breath as I go over a bridge

like I did when I was a kid. There's 288 federal bridges deemed deficient in AR, but over 2,000 of the state and local ones. I think I know where some of them are--they are in a terrible state. One has had the concrete railings cracked and partially fallen into the stream below. Every time I go by it there is more of the railing missing. This may only be cosmetic, but I can't help but think that anything strong enough to crack and break the concrete railings has to have done some damage to the deck as well.

Any place where they list the location of the bridges other than the dots on this map?

[dysfunctional press]

7. it looks like the big island is the safest place to drive...

no dots.

[formercia]

8. The biggest entitlement program in History

The highway system was built to subsidize the vehicle manufactures in order to sell product.

Just like the banking system, the total cost to repair it is way greater than any return we could hope to achieve.

Public transportation is the only tenable solution for the future.

[Laelth]

9. I want to see a lot more money dedicated to public transportation.

We need vastly expanded subways and commuter rail systems. I hope we are far-sighted enough to prioritize.

:dem:

-Laelth

[nichomachus]

10. Well,

it also had a lot to do with national defense.

I don't disagree that we need good viable public transportation and that we've spent too much subsidizing the auto manufacturers, but there are other reasons for the highway system.

[Are_grits_groceries]

11. The highway system was built for military purposes.

National Defense Highway System
When President Eisenhower went to Kansas to announce the interstate highway system, he announced it as "the National Defense Highway System." In 1956 President Eisenhower signed legislation establishing the National System of Interstate and Defense Highways (about 41,000 miles of roads). Since then, DOD has continued to identify and update defense-important highway routes. The National Defense Highway system was designed to move military equipment and personnel efficiently
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/facility/ndhs.htm

[PVnRT]

12. What?

First of all, government spending on roads predates automobiles. Second, that's just silly - the interstate program was created in the 1950's, well after the automobile industry was already established. Third, what do you propose that public transportation travel on? Have a train stop at every house? Wouldn't the rails just be subsidization for the train companies?

Idiotic argument.

[ejpoeta]

14. that must be the 'pork' the republicans are so worried about.

/snark

[formercia]

15. Socialist Pork

as opposed to Republican cloth coat Pork.