How Safe Are Bridges in Gwinnett?

On May 23, the I-5 bridge in Mount Vernon, Wash. collapsed sending multiple vehicles into the Skagit River and three people to the hospital.

The initial investigation, according to CNN, showed the bridge failure occurred when a tractor-trailer struck one of the overhead tresses, part of the superstructure of the bridge. The bridge, built in 1955, was believed to have been structurally sound, but had been rated "functionally obsolete."  Officials had said the bridge was still safe to drive on, CNN reported.

No one died in the bridge collapse, but the incident raises questions about aging infrastructure across the country.

According to Transportation for America, 11.5 percent of U.S. bridges are classified as "structurally deficient." The average age of U.S. bridges according to the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) is 42 years old. In a recent report, the ASCE gave America's bridges a "C+" due in part to the fact that current funding levels are not enough to repair or replace urban bridges which carry a high percentage of the nation's traffic.

Gwinnett County has 363 bridges. Of those, five have been categorized as structurally deficient (bridges that require significant maintenance, rehabilitation or replacement) and 26 as functionally obsolete (bridges that do not meet current standards). Click on the Transportation for America website to find out if there are any problem bridges near where you live or on your travel route.

The ASCE recommends addressing the problem by increasing funding for bridge repair, reconstruction and renovation from approximately $8 billion annually to $20.5 billion. The group also outlines other solutions including developing a national strategic plan for addressing structurally deficient and functionally obsolete bridges and setting a goal of decreasing the number of deficient bridges.

--Are you concerned about the safety of the nation's bridges? Would you support increased funding to repair or replace aging bridges? Let us know in the comments.--

~ Dacula Patch