« Providence company's scientists get genome grants | Today | Man suspected of high-level drug dealing nabbed »

August 2, 2007

DOT: Many bridges deficient, but not about to collapse

PROVIDENCE -- More than half of Rhode Island’s 764 bridges are considered “structurally deficient” or “functionally obsolete,” according to the Federal Highway Administration. That is the highest percentage of any state in the nation.

“On the structurally deficient, it doesn’t mean they are in danger of collapsing,” said DOT Director Jerry Williams, when asked in the wake of yesterday's collapse of a bridge crossing the Mississippi River in Minnesota.

“It could mean they are scheduled for replacement in 5 or 6 years, for example," Williams continued. "If you look at a number of our bridges, they have been shored up by either timber or steel, and that is done to make sure of the integrity of the bridge. But obviously you don’t want to maintain that for 20 years. While they are safe to travel on, it is something where they need to be rehabbed or replaced in order to take them out of that category.”

The term “functionally obsolete” generally means the bridge is not the ideal width or height for the job is has to do. It does not mean unsafe.

The eight-lane Interstate 35W bridge, a major Minneapolis artery, was in the midst of repairs when it buckled during the evening rush hour. Dozens of cars plummeted more than 60 feet into the Mississippi River, some falling on top one of another. The death toll is now at four, but more bodies are said to be in the water.

The White House said an inspection of the 40-year-old bridge in 2005 found problems. The Interstate 35W span rated 50 on a scale of 100 for structural stability and was classified as "structurally deficient," transportation officials said.

In Rhode Island, state officials blame the state’s old infrastructure, its dense population and the winter climate for the percentage of bridges considered in some way deficient.

Governor Carcieri said today that state officials "have every reason to believe" that every Rhode Island bridge currently open to traffic is safe.

“My office has been in contact with the Rhode Island Department of Transportation throughout the day,” Carcieri said in a news release. “We had the same questions as everyone else: Are Rhode Island bridges safe and are any of our bridges in danger of collapsing?”

Carcieri said the state Department of Transportation is "largely up-to-date" with road and highway bridge inspections and, therefore, officials have every reason to believe the open bridges do not "pose a threat to the driving public."

But the governor said that even though they are safe for use, many of the bridges "are in less than perfect condition." He added that though currently safe for travel, "bridges deemed 'structurally deficient' will require repairs in the coming years to ensure their future safety."

Those repairs, he said, "will require a huge investment of scarce dollars."

The state Department of Transportation began several months ago to analzye what investments will be needed make all needed repairs to all state bridges and related highway infrastructure.

"I expect that DOT officials will be prepared to brief me on this analysis by the end of the month," Carcieri said.

-- Journal staff writer Mark Arsenault and projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney, with Associated Press reports

Posted by Mike McKinney  at 4:50 PM | Permalink

Comments

Post a comment

Please be civil. Vicious comments, personal attacks and profanity won't be published. Name and email are required; email address will not publish.

Name:

Email Address:

URL:
Remember Me? YesNo

Comments: (you may use HTML tags for style)