Get the Facts: What's the condition of bridges in the US?

Very, very bad scene. So I'm just, I'm absolutely in shock. Yeah that's in your stomach and you just, you get scared. Every day millions of people rely on infrastructure like roads, bridges, and levees to simply live their lives, but when disaster strikes and critical infrastructure fails, communities are left shaken. Roughly 1 year ago on March 26, 2024, the Baltimore community was forever changed after container ships struck *** pier on the Francis Scott Key Bridge. The bridge collapsed into the Potapso River, killing 6 people. Millions of dollars were lost while the waterway was closed, and more than *** billion dollars will be spent to rebuild. What has America learned from past disasters? Let's dig into 5 of America's worst infrastructure failures caught on camera. In November of 1940, the Tacoma Narrows Bridge in Washington collapsed when high winds caused an aeroelastic flutter. It had opened just 4 months prior as the world's largest suspension bridge, but it soon gained the nickname Galloping Gertie due to its swaying in the Puget Sound winds. Eventually, strong winds caused the bridge to sway, twist, and tear itself apart. There it goes. Luckily there were no injuries, suspension bridge design has changed ever since, with *** focus on being either more aerodynamic or stiffer against twisting. Extensive wind tunnel testing is also now the norm. On December 15, 1967, the Silver Bridge in West Virginia suffered *** catastrophic fracture in its steel suspension chain links, causing the bridge to collapse into the Ohio River in 20 seconds. 46 people were killed in the tragedy. As *** result, Congress passed the Federal Aid Highway Act in 1968, which included requiring the Department of Transportation to inspect federally funded bridges every 2 years. On August 1st, 2007, 1 of the busiest arteries in Minneapolis, the I-35 Mississippi River bridge, collapsed during rush hour. More than 50 vehicles, including *** school bus, plunged into the river and rail yard below. You cannot take anything, you know, it's so bad that I just saw the bridge. Shaking the bridge shaking and all the collapsed. I was among the first people down to this north end here along with some firefighters. Several crushed vehicles, saw several people laying on the side. 13 people were killed and nearly 150 people were injured. Very, very bad scene, so I'm I'm in shock. Prior to the collapse, the bridge had been classified as structurally deficient and fracture critical. The National Transportation Safety Board determined *** design flaw caused the collapse. It's gusset plates were not thick enough to hold the bridge's steel beams together. The collapse led to an effort by the government to improve bridge conditions, including an increase in government funding. In 1981, hundreds of people gathered at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Kansas City for *** tea dance. Attendees filled the lobby and the two elevated sky bridges floating above. Out of nowhere, the concrete walkway broke from its support rods and collapsed onto the crowd below. 114 people were killed and more than 200 were injured. It is considered one of the deadliest structural failures in American history. Investigators found the Skywalks were underdesigned and didn't meet city code. As *** result, the engineering firm that approved the Skywalk's plans lost its license, and the hotel owner paid $140 million in damages to families. Building codes, engineering, and architectural standards have also changed. To this day, civil engineers still closely study the structural failure, using it as *** cautionary tale. On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina made landfall in Louisiana. Massive storm surges overloaded about 50 levees across the New Orleans area, causing them to fail. Water flooded 80% of the city and over 95% of Saint Bernard Parish. The storm was responsible for roughly 1000 deaths in Louisiana, according to the National Hurricane Center. Millions were left homeless. And according to *** 2006 report by the US Army Corps of Engineers, flooding caused by the storm and levee failures cost the New Orleans area around $28 billion in damage. As *** result, Congress passed the National Levey Safety Act in 2007 to improve levee management and reduce flooding. The federal government also provided $120 billion in aid, including $15 billion to strengthen New Orleans flood protection system, which increased the heights of earthen berms and upgraded flood walls and floodgates.

Only two out of every five bridges in the U.S. are in good condition, according to the 2024 National Bridge Inventory.The Hearst Television Data Team analyzed more than 30 years of National Bridge Inventory data going back to 1992 —the earliest year for which the inventory has data. The National Bridge Inventory, or NBI, is an annually-published snapshot of the latest inspection reports for bridges in all 50 states plus D.C., Puerto Rico, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands.The database of more than 623,000 bridges and culverts is a compilation of bridge records reported by each state following National Bridge Inspection Standards, which are federal regulations that apply to all bridges on public roads. It includes the latest condition ratings for highway bridges that have a length of more than 20 feet plus various characteristics of bridges, like location, type and traffic.Data in the NBI is used by the Federal Highway Administration to submit reports to Congress on the status of bridges as well as for owners to use to determine project funding. Most bridges are inspected every two years, so data for a bridge may not be new each time the database is published.The Hearst Television Data Team's analysis excluded culverts, which differ structurally from bridges. National statistics also exclude data from U.S. territories. This brings the total bridges analyzed to 473,440.A growing number of fair bridgesThe number of bridges in fair condition has grown over the past 30 years, surpassing the number of good bridges in 1999. Ever since, fair bridges have continued to increase and now make up more than 51% of the nation's inventory. It's a change that has coincided with a slight decline in good bridges over the past 10 years as well as a decline in poor bridges, according to the Hearst Television Data Team's analysis.Ratings are calculated in three categories: good, fair and poor. The NBI inspection ratings use the lowest score out of three main components of a bridge for the overall rating: the deck, the substructure and the superstructure. If a bridge's lowest score is between 0 and 4 in at least one category, it is considered poor condition. If its lowest is between 5 and 6, it's in fair condition and if it's 7 through 9, it's in good condition.More than 8% of bridges in the U.S. are in poor conditionWhile the overall number and share of bridges in poor condition has been declining nationwide, almost one out of 10 bridges in the U.S. was in poor condition, according to the inventory's 2024 inspection reports for bridges.The states with the highest share were Iowa and South Dakota, where one out of five bridges in each state were in poor condition, according to the NBI data.States with colder climates may have more deteriorated bridges due to the effects of salt and de-icing chemicals.A bridge in poor condition means it received a score of 4 or lower in at least one of the three main components of a bridge.Poorest of poor bridgesMore than three-quarters of the 38,360 bridges in poor condition have a 4 as the lowest rating, which means the bridge has advanced section loss, deterioration, spalling or scour. Just over 17% of poor bridges have a lowest rating of 3, or serious condition, which is similar to level 4 but has "seriously affected" primary structural components.The remaining 6% of poor bridges, with ratings defined by the National Bridge Inspection Standards recording and coding guide, include:Rating 2 - 1,155 bridges: This level is labeled critical and is described as advanced primary structure deterioration that might be necessary to close unless closely monitoredRating 1 - 388 bridges: Called "imminent" failure condition, these are categorized as closed but may have light service with corrective action.Rating 0 - 745 bridges: Out-of-service bridges that are beyond corrective action.Only six states have more than half of bridges in good condition Around 41% of the bridge inventory— or 193,000 — bridges were in good condition, according to the data. Only six states had more than half of their bridge inventory in good condition, according to the NBI. Georgia had the highest share of bridges in good condition at 70% as of last year, a number that grew steeply between 2019 and 2021 as bridges in fair condition declined in the state.Florida and Ohio had the second-highest shares of bridges at 62% and 61%, respectively. Then behind them were Nevada, New Hampshire and Wisconsin.Utah has the lowest share of bridges in good condition at 20%, but also has the highest share of bridges in fair condition at more than 76%.PHNjcmlwdCB0eXBlPSJ0ZXh0L2phdmFzY3JpcHQiPiFmdW5jdGlvbigpeyJ1c2Ugc3RyaWN0Ijt3aW5kb3cuYWRkRXZlbnRMaXN0ZW5lcigibWVzc2FnZSIsKGZ1bmN0aW9uKGUpe2lmKHZvaWQgMCE9PWUuZGF0YVsiZGF0YXdyYXBwZXItaGVpZ2h0Il0pe3ZhciB0PWRvY3VtZW50LnF1ZXJ5U2VsZWN0b3JBbGwoImlmcmFtZSIpO2Zvcih2YXIgYSBpbiBlLmRhdGFbImRhdGF3cmFwcGVyLWhlaWdodCJdKWZvcih2YXIgcj0wO3I8dC5sZW5ndGg7cisrKXtpZih0W3JdLmNvbnRlbnRXaW5kb3c9PT1lLnNvdXJjZSl0W3JdLnN0eWxlLmhlaWdodD1lLmRhdGFbImRhdGF3cmFwcGVyLWhlaWdodCJdW2FdKyJweCJ9fX0pKX0oKTs8L3NjcmlwdD4=

WASHINGTON —

Only two out of every five bridges in the U.S. are in good condition, according to the 2024 National Bridge Inventory.

The Hearst Television Data Team analyzed more than 30 years of National Bridge Inventory data going back to 1992 —the earliest year for which the inventory has data. The National Bridge Inventory, or NBI, is an annually-published snapshot of the latest inspection reports for bridges in all 50 states plus D.C., Puerto Rico, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

The database of more than 623,000 bridges and culverts is a compilation of bridge records reported by each state following , which are federal regulations that apply to all bridges on public roads. It includes the latest condition ratings for highway bridges that have a length of more than 20 feet plus various characteristics of bridges, like location, type and traffic.

Data in the NBI is used by the Federal Highway Administration to submit reports to Congress on the status of bridges as well as for owners to use to determine project funding. Most bridges are inspected every two years, so data for a bridge may not be new each time the database is published.

The Hearst Television Data Team's analysis excluded culverts, which differ structurally from bridges. National statistics also exclude data from U.S. territories. This brings the total bridges analyzed to 473,440.

A growing number of fair bridges

The number of bridges in fair condition has grown over the past 30 years, surpassing the number of good bridges in 1999. Ever since, fair bridges have continued to increase and now make up more than 51% of the nation's inventory.

It's a change that has coincided with a slight decline in good bridges over the past 10 years as well as a decline in poor bridges, according to the Hearst Television Data Team's analysis.

Ratings are calculated in three categories: good, fair and poor. The NBI inspection ratings use the lowest score out of three main components of a bridge for the overall rating: the deck, the substructure and the superstructure. If a bridge's lowest score is between 0 and 4 in at least one category, it is considered poor condition. If its lowest is between 5 and 6, it's in fair condition and if it's 7 through 9, it's in good condition.

More than 8% of bridges in the U.S. are in poor condition

While the overall number and share of bridges in poor condition has been declining nationwide, almost one out of 10 bridges in the U.S. was in poor condition, according to the inventory's 2024 inspection reports for bridges.

The states with the highest share were Iowa and South Dakota, where one out of five bridges in each state were in poor condition, according to the NBI data.

States with colder climates may have more deteriorated bridges due to the effects of salt and de-icing chemicals.

A bridge in poor condition means it received a score of 4 or lower in at least one of the three main components of a bridge.

Poorest of poor bridges

More than three-quarters of the 38,360 bridges in poor condition have a 4 as the lowest rating, which means the bridge has advanced section loss, deterioration, spalling or scour.

Just over 17% of poor bridges have a lowest rating of 3, or serious condition, which is similar to level 4 but has "seriously affected" primary structural components.

The remaining 6% of poor bridges, with ratings defined by the , include:

Rating 2 - 1,155 bridges: This level is labeled critical and is described as advanced primary structure deterioration that might be necessary to close unless closely monitored
Rating 1 - 388 bridges: Called "imminent" failure condition, these are categorized as closed but may have light service with corrective action.
Rating 0 - 745 bridges: Out-of-service bridges that are beyond corrective action.

Only six states have more than half of bridges in good condition

Around 41% of the bridge inventory— or 193,000 — bridges were in good condition, according to the data.

Only six states had more than half of their bridge inventory in good condition, according to the NBI. Georgia had the highest share of bridges in good condition at 70% as of last year, a number that grew steeply between 2019 and 2021 as bridges in fair condition declined in the state.

Florida and Ohio had the second-highest shares of bridges at 62% and 61%, respectively. Then behind them were Nevada, New Hampshire and Wisconsin.

Utah has the lowest share of bridges in good condition at 20%, but also has the highest share of bridges in fair condition at more than 76%.

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