Better Roads Digital Magazine
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/206514
2013 Bridge Inventory total bridges and 1,508 are considered SD/FO. In terms of total interstate and state bridges, 1,094 (37 percent) total interstate and state bridges (2,952) are classified as SD/FO. Thirty-three percent (414) of it total city/county/township bridges (1,251) are SD/FO. West Virginia has 7,049 total bridges, with 2,375 (34 percent) of the combined total being SD/FO. Thirty-three percent (2,297 bridges) of the state's total interstate and state bridges (6,936) are SD/FO, but when analyzing the total city/county/township bridges (113), 69 percent (78) are found to be SD/FO. This is the highest percentage of combined total SD/FO bridges in the nation for city/county/township bridges. Kentucky, North Carolina and Vermont are all on equal footing at 29 percent of combined total SD/FO bridges. Of these states, North Carolina has the highest percentage of total SD/FO bridges. Thirty percent (5,150) of North Carolina's total interstate and state bridges (17,426) are rated as SD/FO. This is followed by Kentucky at 27 percent (2,414) of the state's 8,976 total state and interstate bridges and Vermont at 25 percent (268) of the state's 1,089 total interstate and state bridges. In terms of total city/county/ township bridges, Kentucky also ranks the highest at 33 percent (1,655) of the state's 4,969 total city/county/township bridges being considered SD/FO. North Carolina is 11 percentage points lower at 22 percent (189) of the state's 866 total city/county/township bridges. Vermont is 10 percent more at 32 percent (511) of the state's total 1,622 city/ county/township bridges fitting the SD/FO definition. Louisiana and New Hampshire both come in at 28 percent for the combined total of SD/FO bridges. Louisiana has 12,905 bridges in the state and 3,588 of them are SD/FO. Its total interstate and state bridges (7,906) have a 27 percent (2,099) rate of being SD/FO. At the city/county/township level, that number is 30 percent (1,489 of 4,999 are SD/FO). Its shared spot with New Hampshire of overall SD/FO bridges differs at the state and local level. New Hampshire has an SD/ FO rate of 21 percent (316 of 1,512 total interstate and state bridges) and a 40 percent SD/FO rate (396 of 994) of total city/county/township bridges. Maine and Washington State are tied at 26 percent of combined total SD/FO bridges. Maine has 2,313 total bridges with 596 of them rated as SD/FO. Washington has 7,319 bridges, and 1,875 of them are SD/FO. Breaking it down to the state level, Maine has a lower percentage – 25 percent (513 of 2,088 total interstate and state bridges) – of total SD/FO bridges than Washington, which has a 31 What causes the most damage to bridges? (A)ge (C)orrosion (T)raffic (O)ther percent (1,007 of 3,296) of total interstate and state bridges that are SD/FO. At the city/county/township level, Maine has a higher percentage of SD/FO bridges at 37 percent (83 of a total 225 bridges). Washington State's percentage of total SD/FO bridges at the city/county/township level is 22 percent (868 of 4,023). Next come Iowa, Maryland, Missouri and New Jersey, which all have a 25 percent rate of total SD/FO bridges. Of these states, New Jersey has the highest percentage of SD/FO total interstate and state bridges with 554 or 2,408 bridges meeting this classification. (New Jersey was also socked by Superstorm Sandy last year on Oct. 29, 2012, causing massive destruction, including bridges and roads. Estimates as of June 2013 assess damage to have been more $68 billion, which was only surpassed by Hurricane Katrina.) Missouri's percentage of SD/FO total interstate and state bridges is 20 percent (2,081 of 10,364), followed by Maryland at 19 percent (565 Better Roads November 2013 11