Dangerous Bridges. Where are they?

The 2007 I-35 bridge collapse in Minnesota is the most glaring example of structurally deficient bridges and roadways in recent memory. http://minnesota.publicradio.org/collections/special/2007/bridge_collapse/

That collapse killed 13 and injured 145 and resulted in a bevy of wrongful death and personal injury lawsuits. For a brief time afterwards, public attention focused on problems with dangerous or defective roads and bridges.

Public attention can be short and we hear little now about these risks. However, the federal government has not lost track of this issue and an interesting but little-known agency reports the whereabouts of the condition of U.S. highway bridges.

The United States Department of Transportation Bureau of of Transporation Statistics displays a wealth of information on this subject matter and many other transportation issues. To learn more go to: http://www.bts.gov/current_topics/2009_03_18_bridge_data/