Federal support needed to maintain safety and limit emergency repair costs of Illinois’ 2,311 deficient bridges
ILLINOIS – One in 12 Illinois bridges is rated as structurally deficient, and the number has grown over the last two years, according to a national report released today. The Fix We’re In For 2013 finds that drivers in Illinois are regularly traveling across heavily trafficked bridges rated structurally deficient – bridges that could become dangerous or closed without repair.
The report is the latest update from Transportation for America, which produced a similar report in 2011, based on a national database of bridge inspections maintained by the Federal Highway Administration (FWHA).
In Illinois, 8.7 percent of bridges statewide are rated “structurally deficient” according to government standards. Illinois’ bridge conditions got worse since the 2011 report, with the number of deficient bridges rising from 2,239 to 2,311. Illinois is among 16 states to see an increased number of structurally deficient bridges. Overall, Illinois ranks 35th nationally in terms of the overall condition of the state’s bridges, with one being the worst, 51 being the best.
Nearly 67,000 bridges nationwide are classified as “structurally deficient.” FHWA estimates that transportation agencies would need $76 billion to overcome the current backlog of deficient bridges. Without significant federal support, the poor condition of bridges across the country has major implications for safety, mobility and economic activity.
“Deferring maintenance of infrastructure can cost many times more than preventative repairs,” said Victor E. Van Santen, P.E., S.E., F.SEI, Director, ASCE Illinois Section.“Allowing roads and bridges to slip into disrepair ultimately costs state and local governments billions more than the cost of regular, timely repair.”
“The cost of deteriorating bridges is more than the almost $80 billion we need to fix many of our bridges.” said Ben Brockschmidt, Executive Director, Infrastructure Council, Illinois Chamber of Commerce. “As bridges deteriorate they can’t handle weights they were designed for. This impacts the shipment of freight, the movement of people, and increases the burden on other parts of our transportation infrastructure that are often times just as in need of repair.”
The need is growing rapidly, the report notes: While most bridges are designed to last 50 years before major overhaul or replacement, Illinois bridges average 40 years old. Age is a major factor in bridge conditions. Roughly half of the structurally deficient bridges nationally are 65 or older. American bridges average 43 years old, and in just 10 years, one in four will be over 65.
"As more bridges reach the end of their life span, we face a growing liability in Illinois and nationally," said Brian Imus, State Director, IL PIRG. "Delays in maintenance increase safety risks and ultimately costs taxpayers. The safest approach we can take to Illinois’ infrastructure is to protect the investments we’ve made with needed upgrades."
Congress has repeatedly declared the condition and safety of our bridges to be of national significance. However, the money to fix them is getting harder to come by with declining gas tax revenues and a fiscal squeeze at all level of government. At the same time, Congress made the prospects for bridges even more uncertain last year by eliminating a dedicated fund for them in its update of the federal transportation program. The new law also reduces access to funds for 90 percent of structurally deficient bridges, most of which are owned by cash-strapped local governments. Now bridges are left to compete with every other priority.
“The state of our nation’s bridges is indicative of inadequate investment overall in our transportation infrastructure,” said Peter Skosey, Vice president, Metropolitan Planning Council. “It’s clear that we’ve run out of money to cover even critical basic maintenance, and it’s long past time we identified new dedicated revenues to support a comprehensive national surface transportation program.”
Governor Pat Quinn this year announced a construction plan that he said would replace or rehabilitate hundreds of bridges across Illinois. The plan relies on the state's expected federal allocation, in addition to revenue raised from bonds and existing state and local revenue sources.
In Illinois, a coalition of organizations is working to increase state funding for transportation, including bridges. “But the state alone cannot solve this problem” said Jennifer Morrison, who leads the Transportation for Illinois Coalition. “We need a fully-funded, robust, and multi-year replacement to take over when the federal transportation program, MAP-21, expires next year. A strong federal commitment can help local municipalities and states better allocate resources so that we can fix the bridges we have.”
“Preserving Illinois’s existing transportation system is crucial to ensuring regional prosperity, safety and a higher quality of life,” said James Corless, director of Transportation for America. “The economic and social cost of neglect is simply too high. It is time for our policymakers to shore up our infrastructure and ensure Americans get the most bang for our transportation buck.”
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Transportation for America (T4 America) is the largest, most diverse coalition working on transportation reform today. Our nation’s transportation network is based on a policy that has not been significantly updated since the 1950’s. We believe it is time for a bold new vision — transportation that guarantees our freedom to move however we choose and leads to a stronger economy, greater energy security, cleaner environment and healthier America for all of us. We’re calling for more responsible investment of our federal tax dollars to create a safer, cleaner, smarter transportation system that works for everyone.