How Are Easton's Bridges Doing?

By now, you have may have read -- or at least heard about -- the report by the group Tranportation For America that says Pennsylvania has the worst bridges in the country.

More than 25 percent of our bridges are "structurally deficient," meaning they require significant maintenance, repair, or replacement, the report says.  It does not necessarily mean the bridge is unsafe, TFA says.

TFA's website includes a map that allows people to view bridges in their community.

Nearly all of the city's other bridges are considered "functionally obsolete," which means they are not built to current standards. For example, it way not be wide enough or tall enough to handle desired traffic volumes.

Four of Easton's bridges are considered structurally deficient, including one on Bushkill Street at the intersection of Pearl Street, which the city is in the process of repairing.

The other three are: the bridge where Wood Avenue crosses Route 22 near 13th Street; Third Street at the base of College Hill, and Route 611 crossing the Bushkill Creek.

PennDOT has no immediate plans to repair any of its bridges in the city, according to spokesman Sean Brown. The closest bridge project the state has underway is repairing the Fry's Run bridge in Williams Township, which began this week.

For the record, Oklahoma and Iowa follow Pennsylvania as the second and third worst; Nevada, Florida, Texas have the lowest percentage of deficient bridges.

You can read the full report here