Report: 34 Percent of Major Roads Are in Poor, Mediocre Condition

Aug. 2, 2007 — -- The fallen I-35 West bridge that connected the east neighborhood of Minneapolis with the University of Minnesota's west neighborhood was investigated in 2005 and 2006 and had no structural defects, according to Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty.

However, construction that was reportedly in progress restricted traffic to one lane.

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The I-35 West bridge was built in 1967 — it has eight lanes of traffic, sits 64 feet above the water and has the highest daily traffic flow in the state.

The bridge was built with a single 458-foot-long steel arch to avoid putting any piers in the water that might impede river navigation.

So, how did this catastrophe, which has since left seven people dead and dozens more injured, happen?

Highway engineers say the neglect of America's infrastructure costs lives every day. More than 40,000 people die in highway accidents each year.

Road conditions, the engineers say, are a factor in almost one-third of those deaths.

America's most important road system — 46,000 miles of interstate highway — is now half a century old.

A report card two years ago from the American Society of Civil Engineers said that 34 percent of major roads are in poor or mediocre condition.

And that's not all.

The civil engineers say the number of unsafe dams has risen by more than 33 percent in the past two years, and in that time, there have been 29 dam failures.

Power capacity isn't keeping pace with demand, and the power grid needs $10 billion a year invested over the next five years.

And, according to civil engineers, 27 percent of U.S. bridges are structurally deficient.

Pete Ruane, of the American Road Builders' Association, said, "Many of these bridges — their life cycle, their life expectancy, and depending on the state — many of them are in very, very bad shape, and need major maintenance or replacement."

The Department of Transportation National Bridge Inventory Web site reported the I-35 West bridge's condition as fair. Its overall bridge rating "meets currently acceptable standards."