From roads to rails to runways, the Department of Transportation is laser-focused on one priority: safety. And that focus is paying dividends. One area where we're pleased to report progress is the safety of America's bridges.
For 30 years, Federal Highway Administration oversight of the Highway Bridge Program and the National Bridge Inspection Program has ensured that safety comes first. And today we are launching a new bridge safety initiative to make that oversight even stronger.
"Snooper" bridge inspection truck, photo courtesy Mo DOT
The new approach allows FHWA to more clearly and easily identify bridge issues in each state. Previously, FHWA prepared a written assessment of a particular state’s bridge inspections based on the general review of key inspection areas.
Our new initiative replaces this narrative with a grid displaying the inspection data for 23 specific key areas. These areas include elements like bridge load limits, degree of foundation scouring, and state inspection frequency. This approach allows greater consistency in FHWA state assessments, making it easier to identify potential safety challenges and evaluate state bridge safety compliance.
As Federal Highway Administrator Victor Mendez said, “We take our stewardship role very seriously. And as part of our ongoing commitment to the bridge program, we have adopted these measures to ensure the continued safety of our nation’s bridges.”
Bridge workers repair a gusset plate in Winona, MN, photo courtesy Fred Schulze/Winona Daily News
But, while FHWA takes data reporting and recording very seriously, the real bridge safety work takes place in the field--by the thousands of well-trained, dedicated state, local and federal bridge inspectors, and by the construction crews who keep America's bridges in a state of good repair.
That’s why President Obama’s budget for 2012 proposes $70.5 billion for roads and bridges, including $320 million of the proposed National Highway Program for bridge inspections. And with the President's six-year transportation proposal, we will be well on our way to slashing the backlog of bridge rehabilitation projects by 50 percent.
In a year of tough budget decisions, we at DOT are proud to say we're not cutting any corners on the safety of America's travelers.
It's great that the U.S. DOT is taking this issue seriously and making the system more data driven. While the administration's proposed bridge inspection program isn't free, catching repairs early avoids more expensive repairs later.
Unfortunately, states tend to transfer too much of their existing bridge funds into building new and wider highways while existing infrastructure remains neglected. Despite improvements, America's approximately seventy thousand structurally deficient bridges remain a danger, an embarrassment and a hindrance to growth. It's time for Congress to ensure strong fix-it-first policies.
Readers of this blog interested in the tension between spending on new construction and fixing America's bridges can check out last year's research report, Road Work Ahead: Holding Government Accountable for Fixing America's Crumbling Roads and Bridges which can be found at the following link: https://www.uspirg.org/home/reports/report-archives/transportation/transportation2/road-work-ahead-holding-government-accountable-for-fixing-americas-crumbling-roads-and-bridges
Posted by: Phineas Baxandall (U.S. Public Interest Research Group) | March 21, 2011 at 09:55 AM
too many local governments find themselves spending more on the biennial inspection than they do on bridge maintenance, rehab and reconstruction. That's a shame and there ought to be a better system. Why should a local government inspect a bridge recently reconstructed every other year? Its a waste of resources that could go to repair structurally deficient bridges.
Posted by: Jamie Kendrick | March 21, 2011 at 08:23 PM
The initiative to strengthen and inspect bridges in detail is most welcome. Bridge safety is a serious issue that most people probably don't think about on a daily basis. There is actually a list of bridge failures listed on Wikipedia and it is quite scary reading the list; thankfully there aren't that many failures here in the United States. I never realized how expensive inspections cost though; 320 million is a ton of money!
Posted by: Los Angeles Subaru | March 22, 2011 at 05:33 PM
Great initiative with the Bridge safety program!
Posted by: Cincinnati Subaru | May 18, 2011 at 10:02 PM