July 28, 2008
Contact: Meg Mincolla
Phone: (775) 888-7172
National Bridge Report Details Need for Major Transportation Investment
Near the one-year anniversary of the tragic Minnesota I-35W bridge collapse and directly following a national report detailing funding needs to maintain U.S. bridges, the Nevada Department of Transportation continues an aggressive bridge inspection and rehabilitation program that has led Nevada bridges to be named among the nation’s best.
The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials’ (AASHTO) recently-released Bridging the Gap: Restoring and Rebuilding the Nation’s Bridges report (www.transportation.org) details the $140 billion national investment needed to repair and modernize the one out of every four U.S. bridges needing upgrades.
The AASHTO report shows only 11.9 percent of Nevada’s over 1,700 public bridges being functionally obsolete or structurally deficient. Compared to a 26-percent national average, it is the second best ranking behind Arizona. Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) classifications define structurally deficient bridges as closed, restricted to light vehicles or requiring immediate rehabilitation. Functionally obsolete bridges are deficient in carrying capacity, clearance or alignment with the roadway. The term “deficient bridge” is used to describe bridges in need of major rehabilitation or even replacement. It does not mean the bridge is in danger of collapse.
“In Nevada, as throughout the nation, safety is our primary focus,” NDOT Director Susan Martinovich said. “The Nevada Department of Transportation continues the ongoing and extensive bridge program that has led our bridges to be named among the nation’s best.”
The Nevada Department of Transportation inspects all bridges in the state of Nevada, including city and county-maintained structures. All bridge structures are inspected every two years, while bridges with more extensive deterioration are inspected more often.
Three hundred sixty of Nevada’s state-owned bridges will reach 50 years of age over the next decade, an age when rehabilitation is often necessary to keep the structure to current standards. A Nevada bridge funding backlog of approximately $139 million is expected through the end of this year, with the backlog projected to reach $234 million in 2019 at current funding levels.
“This generation of baby boomer bridges is in need of significant repair or replacement,” Pete Rahn, AASHTO president and director of the Missouri Department of Transportation, said of bridges nationwide. “New technology can help us build bridges that are stronger and longer-lasting, yet we are not seeing the kind of national attention we need to address these issues.”
The report states that the impact of inflation, declining fuel tax receipts, uncertain federal funding and competition for construction resources will affect Nevada’s ability to keep bridges in their current condition.
