The Washington state bridge collapse was a reminder to U.S. drivers about the dangers posed by our nation’s aging infrastructure.
The United States currently has the largest road network of any country on Earth, with more than 4 million miles of roads and streets. Although the construction of this elaborate highway system is certainly a national accomplishment, maintaining an aging transportation network is a challenge in which we’ve fallen short, as a bridge collapse last week loudly reminded the nation.
Last week, a truck collided with a bridge girder on Interstate 5 in Washington, leading to a bridge collapse over the Skagit River near Mount Vernon. Although there were luckily no fatalities from the collapse, three people sustained injuries that required a hospital stay, and the total bill for the damages is expected to reach about $15 million.
The 18-wheeler may have hastened the demise of this particular bridge, but there’s no doubt its age played a role in its collapse. It had even been rated “functionally obsolete,” although state officials asserted it was safe for drivers, according to CNN. The I-5 bridge in near Mount Vernon, Wash., isn’t unique for its age. Consider this: The average age for bridges in the United States was 42 years in 2011, and many have already exceeded their expected 50-year lifespan, according to a report by Transportation for America.
In 2012, the Federal Highway Administration reported that 11 percent the 607,000 bridges in the United States were structurally deficient. These bridges would be monitored and inspected by transportation officials, but were still deemed safe enough for drivers.
Of the bridges deemed to be structurally deficient, here are some of the standouts:
If those bridges don’t seem anywhere along your daily route, consider that the conditions of these structures is by no means a rare occurrence. According to the 2011 Transportation for America report, the following states have the highest percentages of structurally deficient bridges out of the total bridges in the state:
Considering the high numbers in these states, it’s clear that millions of drivers unwittingly pass over structurally deficient bridges everyday. Drivers in Nevada, Florida and Texas may be able to rest a little easier than those in other states; all three had the smallest percentages of structurally deficient bridges, with 3 percent or less of the total bridges in each state in need of repair.
Photo: The Washington state bridge collapse was a reminder to U.S. drivers about the dangers posed by our nation’s aging infrastructure. Credit: Getty Images