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

  • Property issues holding back start of work on Gordie Howe Bridge
    July 19, 2016
    Delays in buying properties in Detroit, Michigan, could hold up construction of the proposed 3.2km Gordie Howe International Bridge that will link the US city to Windsor in Canada. A report by the Detroit Free press said that around 30 of the estimated 900 parcels of land in the city’s Delray district could pose potential problems if owners resist selling the sites to the bridge’s developers. The newspaper noted that Dwight Duncan, interim chair of the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority - the Canadian e
    Read More
  • Highways England: new agency with long-term investment strategies
    August 18, 2015
    Highways England, created out of the old Highways Agency, was set up on April 1 to oversee a closer relationship between government client and private contractors. World Highways went to a recent forum in London to hear both sides declare their hopes and challenges. Government reforms are often met with a certain amount of scepticism thanks to years of disillusionment over forgotten ministerial promises. Given that, highway contractors in the UK could have been forgiven if they had raised their eyes skyward
    Read More
  • Highway project in Texas required demolition equipment
    May 1, 2018
    A contractor in Texas has used equipment from Brokk to help out with a tricky highway project. Upgrading work has been carried out on a 6.4km-long stretch of I-35 in San Antonio between Loop 410 NE and Loop 410 S. This stretch of the route was carrying around 185,000 vehicles/day and was suffering increasing levels of congestion at peak periods. Travel times lengthened by 65% during rush hour, while ramps on opposite sides of the interstate caused additional congestion and safety issues. In one section, t
    Read More
  • ARTBA predicts US construction infrastructure growth
    December 3, 2012
    The American Road and Transportation Builders Association’s (ARTBA) annual forecast suggests that the US transportation construction infrastructure market will show modest growth in 2013. According to ARTBA’s forecast, this segment will increase 3% to US$130.5 billion in 2013. The association’s chief economist, Dr Alison Premo Black, said that growth is expected in highway and street pavements, private work for driveways and parking lots and also airport terminal and runway work. But ARTBA predicts the brid
    Read More

Highlighted Content