As bridges across the United States keep aging and deteriorating, we’re at the turning point of what will happen in the future. Experts like engineers and lawmakers are calling for action. Money spent on maintanence now can head off major problems in the future—extending the lifespans of bridges, saving money and ensuring safety and convenience for future generations. The Problem with America's BridgesThere are about 473,440 bridges across the country, excluding culverts and bridges in U.S. territories. Experts say the average age of a bridge is about 47 years old. And with many of our bridges having been built from the 1950s to 1970s, that means many of them have hit their lifespan. Age is a major culprit of the problem. Another is the fact that a bridge built in the mid-20th century was not built to sustain the traffic and size of modern freight trucks. Bridges were built with trucks from the 1950s and 1960s in mind. Now, those bridges are carrying trucks that are much larger in size and can carry double the weight. Anthony Foxx is the Emma Bloomberg Professor of the Practice of Public Leadership and the Director of the Center for Public Leadership at the Harvard Kennedy School. He also served as the 17th U.S. Secretary of Transportation, where he led the agency’s efforts to advance technology and address past inequities in the agency’s decision-making. He says that heavier loads affect the bridges we drive on."Bridges can only take so much of a pounding," Foxx said. "When you increase that load, it obviously has a consequence."With the stress bridges face on a daily basis, they begin to break down. Every two years in the U.S., bridges are graded on their condition on a scale of 0 to 9. Those rated 9 to 7 are "good," 6 to 5 are "fair," and 4 to 0 are "poor."Using the National Bridge Inventory, the Hearst Television Data Team and the Hearst National Investigative Unit found that 241,715 bridges are in fair condition. That is more than half of all bridges. During the past 30 years, the number of fair bridges has grown by 27%. That’s the section that experts say needs attention. Without intervention, many are projected to slip into poor condition within the next two decades, potentially leading to emergency closures.The Cost of NeglectMaking sure problems with a bridge are fixed is a matter of public safety. But money is always a concern. States rely heavily on federal money allocated to them for infrastructure. Once given out, it is up to the state to decide how they want to use it. When it comes to putting money into bridge infrastructure, every state has to make difficult choices on what to do with it. "It's a tough problem to solve," Foxx said. "Let's say you have 10 poor-condition bridges, but they're low-traffic bridges. Then you have five that are fair bridges that are slipping, but they're in high-traffic areas. And then you have some that are in good condition, but they're in low (traffic) areas. You're always trying to balance. It's almost a utilitarian problem of 'How do you do the job for the most people who are using the road system at the same time?'"Adam Matteo is the Assistant State Bridge Engineer for the Virginia Department of Transportation. He’s worked in this field for 40 years. He spoke to the National Investigative Unit on behalf of his role as a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers. When talking about the cost of bridges, he said that for every bridge that needs to be fully replaced, six others can be repaired to extend their function. Being proactive and fixing problems when they come up, rather than waiting, not only creates safer bridges, but saves money."You can coat it and patch it for $800,000," Matteo said, "That same bridge to replace, you know, may cost $9-$10 million."But no matter what, it’s also hard to maintain bridges as well. Shutting bridges down, even just lanes down can be difficult."One of the things that's really hard in the modern era is, it's really difficult to close the traffic down to get on and take care of it. It's become a much bigger part of bridge maintenance expenses. I don't like to sit in traffic; nobody does," Matteo said. "It takes a lot more planning than it used to simply because there's an expectation that our route is not going to be interrupted ... Impacts can be massive. You think about how much of our economy moves on our highway system when major thoroughfares, major arteries, are not available, then that traffic has to reroute across less efficient means."How a Bridge DeterioratesAdam Matteo walked the National Investigative Unit through the stages of how a bridge can deteriorate."Deterioration is a slow arc. Then that deterioration goes more and more rapid," he said. The joints are the first critical thing to go. Joints are similar to the ones in your body, they hold the bridge together, letting it move without breaking. And when the joints start to go, they make older bridges transition from fair to poor. When the joints leak, Matteo says, it’s like a corrosion factory. It then leads to issues with the beams. "You don’t want holes in your support beams," Matteo said. That drives crews from repairing the bridge to replacing it because it becomes too far gone. If crews maintain the joints, even on older bridges, the lifecycle of the bridge can last longer.Next, the piers start to go because old concrete is like a sponge. Water and salt get in there and start to corrode the reinforcing steel, also known as rebar, inside. Matteo says corrosion is like popcorn; it expands rapidly and that puts pressure on that surface concrete. It delaminates (which means fractures) and spalls, breaking into smaller pieces. It’s a vicious cycle where more concrete continues to break off and more deterioration of the bridge happens.Finally, the deck will start to go. The surface that we drive on starts to corrode and we start seeing cracks and potholes. From the initial onset of corrosion to this point, this can take about 10 years' time.Virginia's Model for SuccessVirginia has become a model in bridge management. Matteo says the reason is because of routine inspections, keeping up on maintenance, and using cutting-edge technology. Using things like sonar equipment, engineers are able to detect internal decay, enabling targeted repair. Virginia is also using advanced materials such as steel-fiber-reinforced concrete, which resists cracking, when it comes to repairing bridges. Matteo says being proactive can extend the service life of a bridge well beyond its intended lifespan. Matteo describes below the outlook on how states maintain America's bridges and the funds that go into it. What’s Next for U.S. Bridges?Improving the quality of bridges nationwide will require a proactive approach to maintenance, strategic funding, and using innovative materials for repair. All experts agree that as the bridge inventory becomes older and more bridges enter fair condition it is crucial states are repairing the problems today to not only save money but keep America’s bridges standing and safe. This story was shot and edited by our Hearst National Investigative Photojournalist Reid Bolton.PHNjcmlwdCB0eXBlPSJ0ZXh0L2phdmFzY3JpcHQiPiFmdW5jdGlvbigpeyJ1c2Ugc3RyaWN0Ijt3aW5kb3cuYWRkRXZlbnRMaXN0ZW5lcigibWVzc2FnZSIsKGZ1bmN0aW9uKGUpe2lmKHZvaWQgMCE9PWUuZGF0YVsiZGF0YXdyYXBwZXItaGVpZ2h0Il0pe3ZhciB0PWRvY3VtZW50LnF1ZXJ5U2VsZWN0b3JBbGwoImlmcmFtZSIpO2Zvcih2YXIgYSBpbiBlLmRhdGFbImRhdGF3cmFwcGVyLWhlaWdodCJdKWZvcih2YXIgcj0wO3I8dC5sZW5ndGg7cisrKXtpZih0W3JdLmNvbnRlbnRXaW5kb3c9PT1lLnNvdXJjZSl0W3JdLnN0eWxlLmhlaWdodD1lLmRhdGFbImRhdGF3cmFwcGVyLWhlaWdodCJdW2FdKyJweCJ9fX0pKX0oKTs8L3NjcmlwdD4=
As bridges across the United States keep aging and deteriorating, we’re at the turning point of what will happen in the future.
Experts like engineers and lawmakers are calling for action. Money spent on maintanence now can head off major problems in the future—extending the lifespans of bridges, saving money and ensuring safety and convenience for future generations.
The Problem with America's Bridges
There are about 473,440 bridges across the country, excluding culverts and bridges in U.S. territories. Experts say the average age of a bridge is about 47 years old. And with many of our bridges having been built from the 1950s to 1970s, that means many of them have hit their lifespan. Age is a major culprit of the problem.
Another is the fact that a bridge built in the mid-20th century was not built to sustain the traffic and size of modern freight trucks. Bridges were built with trucks from the 1950s and 1960s in mind. Now, those bridges are carrying trucks that are much larger in size and can carry double the weight.
Anthony Foxx is the Emma Bloomberg Professor of the Practice of Public Leadership and the Director of the Center for Public Leadership at the Harvard Kennedy School. He also served as the 17th U.S. Secretary of Transportation, where he led the agency’s efforts to advance technology and address past inequities in the agency’s decision-making. He says that heavier loads affect the bridges we drive on.
"Bridges can only take so much of a pounding," Foxx said. "When you increase that load, it obviously has a consequence."
Hearst Television
Former United States Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx talks about the state of America’s bridge infrastructure with Hearst’s National Investigative Unit.
With the stress bridges face on a daily basis, they begin to break down. Every two years in the U.S., bridges are graded on their condition on a scale of 0 to 9. Those rated 9 to 7 are "good," 6 to 5 are "fair," and 4 to 0 are "poor."
Using the National Bridge Inventory, the Hearst Television Data Team and the Hearst National Investigative Unit found that 241,715 bridges are in fair condition. That is more than half of all bridges. During the past 30 years, the number of fair bridges has grown by 27%. That’s the section that experts say needs attention. Without intervention, many are projected to slip into poor condition within the next two decades, potentially leading to emergency closures.
The Cost of Neglect
Making sure problems with a bridge are fixed is a matter of public safety. But money is always a concern. States rely heavily on federal money allocated to them for infrastructure. Once given out, it is up to the state to decide how they want to use it.
When it comes to putting money into bridge infrastructure, every state has to make difficult choices on what to do with it.
"It's a tough problem to solve," Foxx said. "Let's say you have 10 poor-condition bridges, but they're low-traffic bridges. Then you have five that are fair bridges that are slipping, but they're in high-traffic areas. And then you have some that are in good condition, but they're in low (traffic) areas. You're always trying to balance. It's almost a utilitarian problem of 'How do you do the job for the most people who are using the road system at the same time?'"
Adam Matteo is the Assistant State Bridge Engineer for the Virginia Department of Transportation. He’s worked in this field for 40 years. He spoke to the National Investigative Unit on behalf of his role as a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers. When talking about the cost of bridges, he said that for every bridge that needs to be fully replaced, six others can be repaired to extend their function.
Hearst Television
A bridge engineer with Virginia’s Department of Transportation shows the National Investigative Unit the important parts of a bridge and how bridges can deteriorate over time.
Being proactive and fixing problems when they come up, rather than waiting, not only creates safer bridges, but saves money.
"You can coat it and patch it for $800,000," Matteo said, "That same bridge to replace, you know, may cost $9-$10 million."
But no matter what, it’s also hard to maintain bridges as well. Shutting bridges down, even just lanes down can be difficult.
"One of the things that's really hard in the modern era is, it's really difficult to close the traffic down to get on and take care of it. It's become a much bigger part of bridge maintenance expenses. I don't like to sit in traffic; nobody does," Matteo said. "It takes a lot more planning than it used to simply because there's an expectation that our route is not going to be interrupted ... Impacts can be massive. You think about how much of our economy moves on our highway system when major thoroughfares, major arteries, are not available, then that traffic has to reroute across less efficient means."
How a Bridge Deteriorates
Adam Matteo walked the National Investigative Unit through the stages of how a bridge can deteriorate.
"Deterioration is a slow arc. Then that deterioration goes more and more rapid," he said.
The joints are the first critical thing to go. Joints are similar to the ones in your body, they hold the bridge together, letting it move without breaking. And when the joints start to go, they make older bridges transition from fair to poor. When the joints leak, Matteo says, it’s like a corrosion factory. It then leads to issues with the beams.
"You don’t want holes in your support beams," Matteo said.
That drives crews from repairing the bridge to replacing it because it becomes too far gone. If crews maintain the joints, even on older bridges, the lifecycle of the bridge can last longer.
Next, the piers start to go because old concrete is like a sponge. Water and salt get in there and start to corrode the reinforcing steel, also known as rebar, inside. Matteo says corrosion is like popcorn; it expands rapidly and that puts pressure on that surface concrete. It delaminates (which means fractures) and spalls, breaking into smaller pieces. It’s a vicious cycle where more concrete continues to break off and more deterioration of the bridge happens.
Finally, the deck will start to go. The surface that we drive on starts to corrode and we start seeing cracks and potholes. From the initial onset of corrosion to this point, this can take about 10 years' time.
Virginia's Model for Success
Virginia has become a model in bridge management. Matteo says the reason is because of routine inspections, keeping up on maintenance, and using cutting-edge technology. Using things like sonar equipment, engineers are able to detect internal decay, enabling targeted repair. Virginia is also using advanced materials such as steel-fiber-reinforced concrete, which resists cracking, when it comes to repairing bridges. Matteo says being proactive can extend the service life of a bridge well beyond its intended lifespan.
Matteo describes below the outlook on how states maintain America's bridges and the funds that go into it.
What’s Next for U.S. Bridges?
Improving the quality of bridges nationwide will require a proactive approach to maintenance, strategic funding, and using innovative materials for repair. All experts agree that as the bridge inventory becomes older and more bridges enter fair condition it is crucial states are repairing the problems today to not only save money but keep America’s bridges standing and safe.
This story was shot and edited by our Hearst National Investigative Photojournalist Reid Bolton.
