The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Office of Inspector General announced it will audit the efforts the Federal Highway Administration has made to improve the safety of the nation’s bridges.
Between 2009 and 2012, the number of bridges labeled deficient has dropped from 159,862 to 151,497, according to data FHWA is required to collect on more than 607,000 bridges nationwide.
When a bridge is labeled deficient under federal inspection rules, it means the span is still safe but needs repairs or that its design is inadequate for current traffic loads.
The audit was announced Monday in response to a June request by Rep. Nick Rahall (W.Va.), the ranking Democrat on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.
Rahall made the request after the May 23 collapse of the Skagit River Bridge in Washington state, which carries Interstate 5 traffic.
Since 2006, the Inspector General has published three reports containing recommendations to FHWA for its bridge programs. FHWA is a DOT agency.
The transportation reauthorization bill passed last year known as MAP-21 requires states to develop performance standards on how effectively they use their federal money for highways and bridges.
