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

  • Russian road-building industry on verge of massive cuts
    June 10, 2015
    Russia’s road building programme looks set to be cut due to economic issues - Eugene Gerden writes The Russian Government is considering a significant cut to the existing road building programme for the current year. This is due to a current economic crisis in the country, caused by Western sanctions as well as a collapse in the price of oil and gas.
    Read More
  • Global consumers not plugging into EVs - Deloitte survey
    May 1, 2012
    Consumers worldwide expect electric vehicles to travel farther, require less charge time and retail for a lower price than automakers are offering, according to a new survey from Deloitte.In fact, consumers' expectations around performance and purchase price are so divergent from the actual offerings available today, that no more than two to four per cent of consumers worldwide would have their expectations met, according to the survey.
    Read More
  • High fuel prices impact on global trade
    February 27, 2012
    Official statistics can often reveal the blindingly obvious to anyone with the remotest level of common sense. A report from the UK's Office for National Statistics presents a fine example, stating that fewer journeys were made during the recession.
    Read More
  • Interstate bridge collapse in Washington State
    May 24, 2013
    A section of bridge carrying Interstate 5 over the Skagit River in the US has collapsed, dumping a number of vehicles into the river, although no fatalities have been reported. The four lane highway bridge lies around 100km north of Seattle in the Pacific North Western state of Washington and provides a key link with neighbouring Canada. The collapse means that traffic between the US and Canada has been disrupted until repairs can be made or a temporary replacement put in place. There is another bridge runn
    Read More

Highlighted Content