36% of US Bridges are Needy: ARTBA

March 24, 2021

More than 220,000 U.S. bridges need major repair work or should be replaced, according to a new report by American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA). That total, according to the group, represents 36 percent of all U.S. bridges. ARTBA based the number on its analysis of the 2020 National Bridge Inventory database released by the U.S. Department of Transportation.

To put the number in perspective, ARTBA said the length of the needy bridges, if placed end-to-end, would stretch more than 6,000 miles: long enough to travel across the country from Atlanta to Los Angeles and continue up to Deadhorse, Alaska, the furthest point north on the state’s highway system.

Of the 220,000 bridges needing repair, state and local government say that 79,500 bridges should be replaced totally, according to chief economist Dr. Alison Premo Black. Nearly one-third of Interstate highway bridges (17,643 spans) have identified repair needs.

ARTBA reports that although the number of structurally deficient bridges declined 2.5 percent last year to 45,000, the number of bridges falling into fair condition grew more than 3,600 to almost 295,000. American drivers cross these structurally deficient structures more than 171 million times daily, according to ARTBA.

State and congressional district-specific information

ARTBA estimates that at the current pace, it would take 40 years to repair the current backlog of structurally deficient bridges. The estimated cost to repair them is $41.8 billion, based on average cost data published by the U.S. DOT.

“The current 40-year timeline to repair bridges in poor condition is an unacceptable outcome for the American motoring public,” said Black in a prepared statement. “The bridge conditions report highlights key national infrastructure challenges and underscores the need for congressional action this year on a robust multi-year transportation investment bill.”

Of the 45,000 structurally deficient bridges, nearly 11,200 are in “serious” or worse condition. This includes 1,668 that are in “critical” condition, 440 that are in “imminent” failure, and 970 that are in “failed” condition and are out of service.

States with worst bridges

  • Iowa: 1,762
  • Oklahoma: 922
  • Illinois: 764
  • Pennsylvania: 728
  • Missouri: 700
  • Louisiana: 638

Source: ARTBA