Nation’s Bridges Depend on Transportation Investment, Highway Trust Fund Certainty, ARTBA Says

AASHTO Journal, 25 April 2014

Just in time for summer construction season and only months from a looming Highway Trust Fund insolvency issue, the American Road & Transportation Builders Association this week released data that show the health of bridges across the nation depend on HTF funds to remain in operation for the public.

ARTBA analyzed data released by the U.S. Department of Transportation and found that 63,000 bridges across the country were in need of some structural repair, or deemed “structurally deficient.” That does not mean that those bridges are unsafe for the public but that they would benefit from additional repairs or features. State transportation departments assess bridges and close those that pose safety risks for the public.

However, the list of bridges in need of additional repair or more up-to-date features is long, ARTBA officials said. Data show that if all structurally deficient bridges were lined up together across the U.S., it would take 25 hours driving at a speed of 60 mph to cross over them, or the equivalent from Boston to Miami.

ARTBA officials echoed what other transportation organizations have also said—that stable, long-term federal funding from the HTF is vital to maintaining and updating the nation’s transportation systems. Last month, Rhode Island Department of Transportation Director Mike Lewis and Vermont Agency of Transportation Deputy Secretary Sue Minter testified at a Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works on behalf of their own departments, stressing the need for a HTF solution and a follow-up to current surface transportation bill MAP-21 (see related AASHTO Journal story here).

“Letting the Highway Trust Fund go insolvent would have a devastating impact on bridge repairs,” said ARTBA Chief Economist Alison Premo Black in a statement. “The state transportation departments can’t just wave a magic want and make the problem go away. It takes committed investment by our legislators.”

ARTBA’s report is available here.

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