Report says quarter of state’s bridges structurally deficient
A recent report by a national nonprofit transportation research group reveals that Pennsylvania has the third-highest percentage of structurally deficient bridges in the United States. The information, released by The Road Information Program (TRIP) and based on the latest Federal Highway Administration data, shows that Pennsylvania is behind only Oklahoma and Rhode Island in the number of structurally deficient bridges.
Of the state’s 22,174 bridges, 25 percent are structurally deficient, and another 18 percent are functionally obsolete, meaning that the bridges no longer meet modern design standards for safety features such as lane widths or alignment with connecting roads or no longer are adequate for the volume of traffic being carried.
In the TRIP report, structurally deficient bridges carrying at least 10,000 vehicles per day were listed.
Four bridges in this category were found to be deficient in Fayette County.
None were identified as such in Greene County or eastern Washington County.
The structurally deficient bridges in Fayette County with at least 10,000 vehicles per day are as follows:
– A two-lane bridge in North Union Township on Route 2027 that crosses the Conrail Railroad. The structure was built in 1941 and carries 11,406 vehicles per day
– A two-lane bridge on Route 51 in Uniontown that crosses Coal Lick Run. The structure was built in 1908 and carries 17,360 vehicles per day
– The Memorial Bridge in Connellsville, carrying Route 119 over CSX rail lines and the Youghiogheny River. The bridge was built in 1952 and carries 23,111 vehicles per day
– A four-lane bridge in Connellsville on Route 119 that crosses Sixth Street. The bridge was built in 1954 and carries 23,111 vehicles per day.
Overall, according to the report, Fayette County has 382 bridges, with 100 being structurally deficient and 75 percent functionally obsolete, meaning 46 percent of the county’s bridges were deficient in some way.
Greene County has 313 bridges, with 94 being structurally deficient and 54 functionally obsolete, meaning 47 percent of the county’s bridges were deficient.
Washington County has 609 bridges, with 178 being structurally deficient and 106 being functionally obsolete, meaning 47 percent of the county’s bridges were deficient.
The report said the average age of Pennsylvania’s bridges is 48 years, and most bridges have a design life of 40 to 50 years.
Ron Geist, managing director of the Pennsylvania Highway Information Association, said the report points to the need for Pennsylvania to spend money on its bridges.
“Without additional dollars, Pennsylvania’s bridges will continue to deteriorate, making a bad situation even worse,’ said Geist. “Unfortunately, Pennsylvania is staring at a bleak outlook concerning its future transportation funding and cannot remedy this situation unless a new influx of transportation dollars can be found.’
Valerie Peterson, press officer for the state Department of Transportation’s District 12, said the report is hardly a surprise.
“A lot of the bridges were built many years ago, and we don’t have the same standards today,” Peterson said.
She said when many of the bridges were built in the 1940s and 1950s, there weren’t “18-wheelers with three loads traveling across them.”
PennDOT crews inspect every bridge at least every two years. Those inspections could be more frequent if a problem is detected, Peterson said.
“If we see a problem, we go in every year and either close the bridge or decrease the weight limit,” she said.
Replacing a bridge is also another option. Peterson said PennDOT, using emergency funds, recently replaced the Fern Cliff Bridge, which spans Interstate 70 in North Belle Vernon.
Although PennDOT has an entire department that handles bridges, Peterson said bridge maintenance is a “never-ending process.” Statewide, $150 million was spent on bridges in 1999, and that figure is now $250 million to $300 million per year.
The TRIP report estimates that 88 percent of the $297 billion worth of commodities delivered annually from sites in Pennsylvania are transported on the state’s bridges and highways.
The report lists three steps to improve bridge conditions, including increasing bridge investment statewide; expanding the current bridge maintenance program; and considering the use of high performance materials, such as improved steel, concrete and fiber products. PennDOT already is analyzing at least one of those suggestions.
“We’re looking at using higher performance steel and better concrete mixes for future bridges,” Peterson said.
The report can be read on the TRIP Web site at www.tripnet.org.