According to the American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) U.S. DOT’s National Bridge Inventory data, one out of every three bridges in the country need major repairs or replacement, with 36 percent or 221,800 bridges needing repair and more than 76,000 bridges needing replacement. 49 percent of bridges were in fair condition.
There has been a trend over the last five years that has seen the number of bridges in fair condition continuing to grow and those in the poor or good categories declining, which shows progress, especially at a time when extreme weather and temperatures are adding stress beyond what their original designs were intended to withstand. Bridges in poor condition were down to 6.8 percent from 7.3 percent in 2020.
ARTBA estimates place the cost to repair at around $400 billion. Under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (2021), states continue to receive funding for bridges. In the first three years of the funding formula, 46 percent of the $27.5 billion in resources have been dedicated to at least 4,170 projects. The remaining funding will be provided over the next two years.
The Bridge Investment Program is another initiative that will provide an additional $12.5 billion for projects to be awarded through 2026, but there will still be a funding gap that will need to be overcome if the $400 billion in repairs are to be made.
Most bridges are inspected every two years and are classified as good, fair, or poor based on their inspection ratings in accordance with definitions from the Transportation Department.
