Virginia Has 825 Structurally Deficient Bridges: Report

WASHINGTON, DC — Americans cross bridges rated as "structurally deficient" 174 million times a day, according to a new analysis of federal data. And Virginia has plenty of bridges that need repaired or replaced (see list below).

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. In Virginia, there are 825 of them, according to a report released this week by the 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. Virginia ranked 34th in the country in highest percentage of bridges deemed to be in poor condition and 24th highest based on the actual number of such bridges.

The 825 structurally deficient bridges account for 5.9 percent of all bridges in Virginia. The state said 6,451 bridges are in need of repairs and estimated it would cost $8.5 billion to fix them. The study says 44 structurally deficient bridges in the state are on interstate highways; 829 bridges are posted for load, which may restrict the size and weight of vehicles crossing the structure.

In Washington, D.C., eight of the district's 245 bridges are classified as structurally deficient. Two of those structures are on the Interstate Highway System. Five DC bridges are posted for load restrictions. Officials have identified needed repairs on 100 bridges; which the district estimates will cost $662.6 million.

Here is a list of the most traveled structurally deficient bridges in Virginia:

1. Chesterfield County, built in 1958, 96,904 daily crossings, Interstate 95 over Rte 608 (Reymet Rd)
2. Arlington County, built in 1965, 96,888 daily crossings, Custis Mem. Hwy. over Rmps B & F
3. Richmond County, built in 1958, 92,370 daily crossings, Interstate 95 over Deepwater Term Ser. Rd
4. Alexandria County, built in 1973, 81,495 daily crossings, NBL Route 0395 over & Rmp F O Four Mile Run
5. Roanoke County, built in 1965, 76,628 daily crossings, Routes 581, 220 over Rtes. 11, 116 & 460
6. Henrico County, built in 1974, 75,803 daily crossings, Route 0195 over Rte 197 & CSX Transp. RR
7. Richmond County, built in 1975, 73,126 daily crossings, I-195 over Hamilton Street
8. Stafford County, built in 1963, 72,560 daily crossings, NBL Rte. I-95 over Rte. 17
9. Stafford County, built in 1963, 70,840 daily crossings, SBl Rte. I-95 over Rte. 17
10. Alexandria County, built in 1969, 61,556 daily crossings, Duke Street over Route I-395Charlottesville

See the full list of Virginia bridges that need repair on the American Road & Transportation Builders website.

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 talked 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.

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