Improving our bridges

Saturday, Sept. 13, 2008 | 2:08 a.m.

The August 2007 collapse of an interstate bridge in Minneapolis that claimed 13 lives sparked a national discussion about the condition of the nation’s highway bridges. That discussion should continue in light of a report released Wednesday by the Government Accountability Office, the investigative arm of Congress.

The GAO report focused on the federal Highway Bridge Program, which provided more than $4 billion to states last year to repair or replace deficient bridges. On the surface, that program and supplemental money used by the states appear to be working.

Over the past 10 years the number of structurally deficient bridges declined by 22 percent, from 93,118 to 72,519. On a 100-point scale, with 100 being the best, the average sufficiency rating of all bridges in the country rose from 75 to 79 during that period. One could interpret those statistics to mean our bridges overall are safer today than they were in 1998.

But the GAO found that because of flaws in the bridge program, there are many bridges that really should be fixed or replaced that aren’t being addressed, at least not with federal money. The reason is that the program lacks focus.

States have the discretion to spend the money not only on deficient bridges but on related transportation projects. That means that instead of repairing or replacing a bridge with structural problems, as was found with the Minneapolis span, much of the funding is diverted to preventive maintenance or improvements that can include almost any bridge in the country.

We support the GAO recommendation that the Transportation Department work with Congress to identify specific goals for the program. Common sense dictates that priority should be placed on fixing or replacing structurally deficient bridges on the most heavily traveled routes.

We also encourage Congress to ensure there is sufficient federal funding to address all bridges that merit assistance, a situation that will only worsen as our highway system continues to age.