Report: 1 in 17 Twin Cities bridges is 'structurally deficient'

A report released Wednesday from national lobbying group Transportation for America rates one in every 17 bridges in the Twin Cities as "structurally deficient."

The report finds nearly 70,000 bridges nationwide need substantial repair or replacement. According to the report, 8.8 percent of the state's 1,149 bridges are "structurally deficient". These bridges are crossed by 1.8 million people each day.

MnDOT spokesman Kevin Gutknecht said while the state's bridges are aging, crews perform regular maintenance and repairs.

"In 1956, Dwight Eisenhower signed the interstate bill and that is when all of the work began," Gutknecht said. "Yes, some bridges are ending what was considered to be their useful life, but with ongoing maintenance and with ongoing attention we can make bridges last longer than what their original life cycle was considered to be."

After the Interstate 35W bridge collapse in Minneapolis four years ago, the state began an extensive program to repair and replace bridges. About half of the state's bridges identified as critical in 2008 will be repaired by the end of this construction season, Gutknecht said.

The report estimates it would cost nearly $500 million to rehab the state's structurally deficient bridges.

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