No state repaired more deficient bridges than Pennsylvania last year

[FakeNoose]

Pennsylvania still has the sixth-highest percentage of spans in poor condition



Pittsburgh Post Gazette link: https://www.post-gazette.com/news/transportation/2024/09/23/pennsylvania-bridges-fern-hollow-infrastructure/stories/202409220133

WASHINGTON — More than two years after Pittsburgh’s Fern Hollow Bridge collapsed, Pennsylvania last year reported repairing more deficient bridges than any other state. There were 90 fewer bridges with at least one structural element in poor condition this year than last, the biggest drop of any other state, new Federal Highway Administration figures show.

Even so, motorists every day continue to drive across hundreds of deficient Pennsylvania bridges. Around 12.6% of the state’s bridges — 2,932 of 23,299 — have at least one structural element in poor condition, the sixth-highest percentage among the 50 states, the FHA data show.

A year ago, 13% of the state’s bridges were deficient, also ranking Pennsylvania sixth. In 2013, 23% of Pennsylvania spans were in poor condition — the highest percentage in the nation.

Alison Premo Black, chief economist for the American Road and Transportation Builders Association, singled out Pennsylvania as one of the states with “significant progress” in reducing the backlog of bridges in poor condition.... Most of the structurally deficient bridges are not in imminent danger of collapse, but their poor ratings indicate that they need to be fixed or replaced sooner rather than later.

- more at link -

I live in Pittsburgh and almost every day I drive over one of those bridges that's rated in "poor" condition. We have so many older out-of-repair bridges, ramps, and tunnels in Allegheny County, but really it's a problem throughout the state. They are being inspected and evaluated by state and county engineers, but then they have to wait in line for repairs.

Looking at this bar chart above, all I can say is, "Thank God we're not in Iowa!!"