At 60, Interstate Highway System’s Bridges Need Upgrade, Report Says
A significant number of bridges along the Interstate Highway System are in need of repairs, a recent report by a non-profit transportation group found.
Washington, D.C.-based TRIP, in its analysis of the National Bridge Inventory data, determined that Rhode Island is the leader when it comes to structurally deficient interstate bridges. Fifteen percent of the Ocean State's bridges fall in that category.
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In West Virginia and Wyoming, 9% of bridges are structurally deficient. New York and Connecticut round out the top five at 8% and 7%, respectively. Deteriorating bridges contribute to traffic delays.
“If Americans are to continue to enjoy their current level of mobility on interstate highways and bridges, the nation will need to make a commitment to providing the public with a 21st-century highway system,” the report’s authors concluded.
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The national network of highways advanced during the Eisenhower administration turns 60 on June 29. Groups such as American Trucking Associations and American Road and Transportation Builders Association have scheduled a workshop at the National Press Club on June 29 to evaluate the highway system’s infrastructure.
Keynote speakers include Pat Thomas, ATA chairman and senior vice president of state government affairs for UPS Inc., and Senate Environment and Public Works Chairman James Inhofe (R-Okla.).
