Pennsylvania Releases Bridge Ratings

August 2007

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) has announced its rating numbers for state-maintained bridges, and the results look grim. Almost 6,000 of Pennsylvania’s 25,000 bridges have been named “structurally deficient” and are in need of repair.

The ratings come on the heels of a deadly bridge collapse over the Mississippi River. The bridge that crumbled in Minneapolis was a steel truss bridge, of which there are many across Pennsylvania. PennDOT insists that if Pennsylvania bridge is open, it is safe for travel.

The bridge ratings have been released during a period of record financing by PennDOT. Last year the department spent $558M on nearly 900 statewide bridge projects. Of that amount, $133M went towards bridge preservation and $425M was spent repairing structurally deficient bridges.