Minnesota Has 709 Structurally Deficient Bridges: Report

More than 11 years after the deadly collapse of the Interstate 35W bridge in Minneapolis, the nation's infrastructure is still in deep need of repairs, a report finds. Americans cross bridges rated as "structurally deficient" 174 million times a day, according to a new analysis of federal data.

There are more than 612,000 bridges in the country; of those, 54,259 were rated structurally deficient, according to the American Road & Transportation Builders Association.

Inspectors rate bridge decks and support structures on a scale of zero to nine for deterioration and remedial action. A rating of nine means the bridge is in “excellent” condition. A rating of four or below means a bridge is classified as structurally deficient and in need of repair.

Minnesota ranked 40th in the country for the percentage of bridges deemed to be in poor condition and 26th highest based on the actual number of such bridges.

In Minnesota, there were 709 structurally deficient bridges, the analysis found. That accounts for 5.3 percent of all bridges in the state.

The most heavily traveled structurally deficient bridge in Minnesota, according to the report, is the Interstate 35E bridge over Shepard Road in Ramsey County. It was built in 1963 and has 77,000 daily crossings. Following those traffic numbers is the Interstate 35W southbound bridge over Highway 65 in Hennepin County, which sees 48,500 daily crossings.

Both U.S. 169 southbound and northbound bridges over Elm Creek are considered structurally deficient and see 21,500 daily crossings each.

In 21 states nationwide, at least 9 percent of bridges were rated structurally deficient, the analysis found. If placed end-to-end, the number of such bridges could stretch more than 1,200 miles — nearly the distance between Miami and New York City.

On average, those bridges were built 67 years ago, when Harry Truman was president. Non-deficient bridges were 27 years younger on average.

Iowa, Pennsylvania, Oklahoma, Missouri, Illinois, Nebraska, Kansas, Mississippi, North Carolina and New York have the most structurally deficient bridges, the analysis found.

The Federal Highway Administration told NBC News in a statement, that the report "underscores the need for investment in our nation's infrastructure."

"It also highlights the importance of streamlining the permitting process, so that the projects that are funded can move forward without undue delay," the agency said.

The road and transportation group that conducted the analysis is a non-partisan federation that aims to "aggressively grow and protect transportation infrastructure investment" in order to meet demand for safe and efficient travel.

Alison Premo Black, chief economist for the group, said in a release that it would take 37 years to remedy every bridge at the current pace of repair or replacement. An infrastructure package aimed at modernizing the interstate system would benefit the economy both in the short and long term, she said.

Traffic bottlenecks cost the trucking industry alone more than $60 billion a year in lost productivity and fuel. That “increases the cost of everything we make, buy or export," she said.

President Donald Trump is expected to talk about the nation's crumbling infrastructure during the State of the Union on Tuesday night. During his campaign, he pledged to spend $1 trillion to rebuild America's roads and bridges.

Photo credit: AP Photo/M. Spencer Green, File