AAA Carolinas issues report on state of bridges in North Carolina.
INTRO – AAA Carolinas says the state has over 5100 bridges considered substandard. George Olsen has more.
AAA Carolinas says the number of substandard bridges in the state remains high despite an investment of nearly $500 million in state and federal funds to replace and repair bridges last year. AAA cites state Department of Transportation estimates of needing $11 billion to bring all deficient bridges up to standard or $16 billion to replace them. The percentage of bridges in good condition in the state increased from 64 percent in 2011 to currently about 68 percent. State Department of Transportation Secretary Tony Tata says about 1000 substandard bridges have been upgraded over the past three years. AAA Carolinas CEO Dave Parsons says slight improvement in the overall picture was made last year but more resources need to be found to fund infrastructure needs. I'm George Olsen.