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Table 1-24: Condition of U.S. Highway Bridges

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  1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000
Urban bridges 108,770 112,363 115,312 117,488 121,141 122,537 124,950 127,633 128,312 130,339 133,384
Rural bridges 463,435 461,673 456,885 456,228 455,319 458,598 456,913 455,118 454,664 455,203 456,290
Total 572,205 574,036 572,197 573,716 576,460 581,135 581,863 582,751 582,976 585,542 589,674
Urban deficient bridges                      
Structurally 16,847 17,032 16,323 15,932 15,692 15,205 15,094 14,846 14,073 12,967 12,695
Functionally 30,266 30,842 26,243 26,511 27,024 27,487 28,087 26,865 27,588 29,065 29,398
Total 47,113 47,874 42,566 42,443 42,716 42,692 43,181 41,711 41,661 42,032 42,093
Rural deficient bridges                      
Structurally 121,018 117,502 102,375 96,048 91,991 89,112 86,424 83,629 78,999 75,183 70,881
Functionally 70,089 66,751 54,150 53,489 52,808 53,463 53,121 50,545 51,912 52,835 52,112
Total 191,107 184,253 156,525 149,537 144,799 142,575 139,545 134,174 130,911 128,018 122,993
All deficient bridges                      
Structurally 137,865 134,534 118,698 111,980 107,683 104,317 101,518 98,475 93,072 88,150 83,576
Functionally 100,355 97,593 80,393 80,000 79,832 80,950 81,208 77,410 79,500 81,900 81,510
Total 238,220 232,127 199,091 191,980 187,515 185,267 182,726 175,885 172,572 170,050 165,086

NOTES: Structurally deficient bridges are defined as those needing significant maintenance attention, rehabilitation, or replacement.

Functionally deficient bridges: those that do not have the lane widths, shoulder widths, or vertical clearances adequate to serve traffic demand; or the bridge may not be able to handle occasional roadway flooding.

Table includes: rural–Interstate, principal arterial, minor arterial, major collector, minor collector and local roads; urban–Interstate, other freeways or expressways, other principal arterial, minor arterial, collector, and local roads.

Data for 1990, 1992 and 1997-99 are as of December of those years; data for 1991, 1994-96 are as of June of those years; data for 1993 is as of September of that year; and data for 2000 is as of August of that year.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, Office of Bridge Technology, National Bridge Inventory Database, personal communication, Aug. 14, 2001.