Iowa Leads Nation in Structurally Deficient Bridges
How safe are Iowa's bridges? With over 24,000 bridges in the state, concerns over the structural safety is always a major concern.
A recent report by the American Road and Transportation Builder's Association says that nearly 20% of the state's bridge conditions are listed with a "structural deficient" rating. And that includes Centennial Bridge in Davenport and the 8th St Bridge in Cedar Rapids.
Iowa ranks as the state with one of the highest percentages of "structural deficient" bridges in the nation.
But CBS 2 News says the Iowa DOT's clarification of the term "structural deficient" (which applies to over 54,000 bridges in the US) may help relieve your "bridge anxiety".
The Iowa DOT acknowledges those bridges are in need of maintenance work, but assures motorists they are still safe to drive on.
All bridges in Iowa are inspected at least once a year by engineers, who take necessary action if a bridge is actually harmful to drivers.
"If we think it's unsafe it would be immediately closed" says Cathy Cutler, a transportation planner with the Iowa Department of Transportation.
The state estimates repairs for all bridges categorized as "poor" in Iowa would cost more than $1 billion.