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Dangerous State of California’s Bridges Is Worrying

A new report by Transportation for America has alarming news for Los Angeles personal injury lawyers and motorists in California.  The report paints a scary picture of the state of the bridges in our state, rating many of them as structurally deficient, or deteriorating to some degree.

According to the report, one out of every eight bridges in California is likely to be deteriorating to some degree.  Further, 12 .8% of bridges across the state are rated as structurally deficient, while the average national rate is 11.5%.

There’s more bad news.  Out of the 50 states and the District of Columbia, California ranks as the 18th worst state in terms of overall condition of bridges.  Many of our bridges are growing too old to use.  For instance, the average age of bridges in the US is 42 years old.  In California, that age is 44.4 years.  Most bridges are only designed to last for about 50 years, regardless of the wear and tear that they take.  According to estimates, more than 8,300 bridges in the street of California are at least 50 years old or more.

The number of bridges in California that are rated as structurally deficient is only bound to increase over time.  By the year 2030, the number of structurally deficient bridges could actually double to more than 19,000 unless the state invests substantially in bridge replacement.

It’s not as if California is not spending a lot on bridge safety.  For instance in 2008, the state spent most of its available federal funds for bridge repair.  That year, the state spent a total of $907 million for bridge repair.  The average amount spent nationally on bridge repair was about 13% of the funds.

It’s not just California’s bridges however, that are under scrutiny.  According to the report, across the country, state transportation officials are increasingly finding that bridges are failing to achieve high scores in maintenance and upkeep.  According to the American Society of Civil Engineers, the country’s overall infrastructure can only be marked a D, while its bridges can only be marked as E.

Every year, states around the country spend billions of dollars to maintain and repair existing bridges.  However according to the Federal Highway Administration, billions of dollars would be needed over the next few years in order to repair the current backlog of deficient bridges.  This figure is only likely to increase over the next few years as some of the busiest and most heavily traveled bridges around the country begin to reach the end of their lifespan.  The average age of a bridge in the country is about 42 years.

More worryingly to Los Angeles dangerous road lawyers, many of the most structurally deficient bridges connect Los Angeles County’s busiest highways, including Interstate 10 and Interstate 605.

The Reeves Law Group is a law firm with offices throughout California dedicated exclusively to the representation of personal injury victims, including victims of dangerous roads. Please visit our website at trlglaw.com. If you desire to discuss a personal injury matter,  you can reach us at (800) 644-8000 or email us.

The Reeves Law Group is not representing any party in the matters discussed in this posting.

 

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