In the past several years, Pennsylvania has made significant state investments in bridges. In 2006, PennDOT invested an unprecedented $558 million in 894 bridge projects statewide with $133 million being spent on bridge preservation and the remaining $425 million devoted to rehabilitating and replacing structurally deficient bridges. In 2007, that investment reached roughly $700 million.
A structurally deficient bridge is safe, but in need of costly repairs or replacement to bring it to current standards. Despite a record level of investment since 2003, Pennsylvania has the largest number of structurally deficient bridges in the nation — nearly 6,000 statewide.
With 25,000 state-owned bridges, Pennsylvania has the third largest number of bridges in the nation, but we lead the nation in the number of bridges classified as “structurally deficient.” The average age of bridges on the state system is 50 years old.
Inspection Facts
PennDOT has an aggressive bridge inspection program that regularly inspects all of Pennsylvania’s bridges at least once every two years. Structurally deficient bridges are inspected more frequently if their condition warrants. PennDOT does not hesitate to impose weight restrictions and close bridges if deterioration causes safety concerns.
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