Michigan's ageing bridges

The US state of Michigan needs to invest in highway bridge repairs.
February 16, 2012 Read time: 1 min
The US state of Michigan needs to invest in highway bridge repairs. A report by 2770 Transportation for America says that in excess of 13% of the state's highway bridges are structurally deficient, compared with an average of 11.5% across the US. The problem is likely to increase according to the report as bridges age and come closer to their planned 50 year lifespan. Up to 1,400 bridges in Michigan are structurally deficient according to federal standards. In all Michigan has 11,000 road bridges and they are 41 years old on average. In the US, about 185,000 bridges are more than 50 years old and the number could double by 2030. Transportation for America says one in nine US bridges are in poor condition, while it would cost US$71 billion to improve the condition of its structurally deficient bridges.
Road Structures

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Ageing drivers in the US
    October 20, 2016
    US drivers are getting older, while there are now more females than males behind the wheel in the country. The latest data shows that nearly 20% of drivers in the US are aged 65 or more, and women drivers now outnumber male drivers. These trends have been identified as a result of data analysis by the US Department of Transportation's Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). The preliminary data from the FHWA shows that the US now has more drivers than ever before, an estimated 217.9 million. The research sho
    Read More
  • Montreal’s new Champlain Bridge is shaping up for Christmas
    September 10, 2018
    Montreal’s Champlain Bridges - one going up, one coming down, reports David Arminas The importance of the new Champlain Bridge to Montreal and Canada can’t be overstated, given the crumbling nature of the not-so-old original Champlain Bridge. The original steel truss affair across the St Lawrence River and the adjacent St Lawrence Seaway canal is “a lifeline for residents and businesses” in greater Montréal, according to the national Auditor General - the public sector spending watchdog. “It accommodates
    Read More
  • Growing US congestion problems will get worse according to study
    April 30, 2012
    The economic recession has only provided a temporary respite from the growing congestion problem, according to Texas Transportation Institute 2011 Urban Mobility Report.While traffic problems have stagnated in the US along with the economy, the annual study suggests that too little progress is being made toward ensuring that the nation's transportation system will be able to keep up with job growth when the economy does return.
    Read More
  • Rapid replacement of multiple bridges – the plan
    December 14, 2017
    The US State of Pennsylvania is saving itself $220 million over 10 years on a programme to replace 558 bridges with an unusual public private partnership approach - Kristina Smith writes It is called the Rapid Bridge Replacement Programme with good reason. Pennsylvania’s Department of Transport, PennDOT, wants to see no less than 558 structurally deficient bridges replaced with newly designed and constructed ones, all within four years. Using traditional forms of procurement this programme would be like
    Read More

Highlighted Content