Pennsylvania Department of Transportation Secretary Barry Schoch said he has authorized his agency to increase weight restriction to about 1,000 structurally deficient bridges in the commonwealth.
The increased weight restrictions are due to the Pennsylvania General Assembly’s inaction on transportation funding, Schoch said in a statement.
“Without additional revenues anticipated in the future, I have to make the safe and responsible decision to reduce how much weight is crossing these deteriorating bridges,” Schoch said.
“For months, I've been explaining to Pennsylvanians and to lawmakers that there are very real consequences to not enacting a transportation funding plan,” he said.
The restrictions apply to 530 state-owned and about 470 locally owned bridges, according to PennDOT.
Reducing the weight on the bridges will slow down their deterioration and preserve safety as funding for repairs is still uncertain, PennDOT said.
According to PennDOT, the commonwealth leads the nation in the number of bridges classified as “structurally deficient,” with a majority more than 50 years old.
