Thousands of Missouri bridge spans ‘deficient’

[Apoptosis]

With the bridge collapse in MN I looked online to see how bad Missouri bridges are and found we are one of the worst in the country... Seems Missouri is ranked fourth for having the most structurally deficient bridges and sixth for having the most obsolete bridges!

800 Missouri Bridges That Are Scheduled To Be Replaced BY 2012:

A 2006 Federal Highway Administration study found 4,595 of Missouri’s 24,042 bridges were structurally deficient. Only three states have more structurally deficient bridges. The rating factors in age, corrosion and deterioration. Missouri also has 3,141 bridges deemed "functionally obsolete" by their age, design or load limits. Only five states have more obsolete bridges.

Source

Missouri along with numerous other states will begin inspecting bridges that are similar in design to the bridge that collapsed in Minnesota... Too little too late I say. Replacing 800 bridges is good, but what about the other ~7,000 that are deficient and obsolete!

[bubba]

Last year up by my place there was a fed-ex truck that got lost, tried to take the fully loaded truck across a 100 year old covered bridge. First time he made it, on the return trip when he realized he was lost, thats when he ended up in the water.

[camaroguy1998]

They closed the Old Gravois bridge at Fenton today!
My bet, is that's the first of many to come!

[Apoptosis]

no kidding? hum...

[NAiLs]

From Wisconsin's DoT website, they mention that there are 16 bridges here that are like the one that collapsed there. I have no idea where to find information like what you have found, Nate.

[Apoptosis]

just searched google... had to change the keywords a bit (15mins of work)

found some on the bridge camaroguy mentioned...

Late Thursday, St. Louis County Executive Charlie Dooley ordered the Old Gravois Road Bridge closed.

The decaying, 82-year-old bridge links Sunset Hills and Fenton.

County leaders planned to close it by next year but decided they couldn't take anymore chances after Wednesday's bridge collapse in Minneapolis.

Mark Siebert, one of about 9,600 drivers who use the Old Gravois Road Bridge daily, said he thought it was a good idea to close the bridge.

St. Louis County officials had long considered the aging, 700-foot-long steel truss bridge in need of replacing.

Despite being considered safe for most vehicle traffic, the structure has visible damage including holes in the concrete and exposed rebar.

Garry Earls, the director of the St. Louis County Highway Department, said the Minneapolis incident "made it clear to us that better safe than sorry was the proper course of action to take."

Brian Craig is one of many area residents who said they knew the bridge wasn't in perfect shape. Craig said it seemed no worse than many other bridges across the region.

Prior to Thursdays closing, county leaders said they had already requested at least $5 million in federal funds to replace the bridge.

The money has not yet been made available.

[vicaphit]

I found a news source that says ohio has 43,000 bridges. It also states that a deficient bridge isn't always a dangerous bridge... deficient means potholes and such

Dont be afraid to go over bridges guys, just be afraid to go over a bridge while 2 or 3 coal trucks are on the bridge with you

[Apoptosis]

Here is a list of the deficient bridges in missouri: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20099091

Look up your state here: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20093413/?GT1=10252

[Dragon_Cooler]

I can only imagine they are going to do it the american way too.....cheap and quick, to say they did something about it.

[DaIceMan]

one of the bridges locally is being re-done very soon because the Rednecks have shot a good portion of the concrete pillars full of holes... causing concrete to break. They have closed the lower access to this bridge, but I'm sure it's just a matter of a sign or a cable which will do little to stop idiots from getting down there.

[T-Shirt]

Here's the NATIONAL BRIDGE INVENTORY database for 2006.
http://nationalbridges.com/
you can check the condition of any bridge.
deficient or obsolete doesn't nessesarily mean dangerous, but there are plenty of scary ones out there

[vicaphit]

That's scary, I drive over a 12% sufficiency twice every day. Luckily it is more of a trickle of a stream than a river, and its really just a culvert.

[stev]

Nate,

I looked up my old town in M!CH!GAN for bridges. I was somewhat shocked to find four of them on the very bad list still used today. The sad thing is, two of them are on interstates, I-94 and I-69. The other two are actually railroad bridges over highways. The last thing someone needs is a locomotive and freight cars to drop on them

[vicaphit]

That happened in the town I live in, a RR bridge collapsed because we dont have many trains that go through, but when they do they are loaded with coal... It fell on the street, but I dont think anyone was under it

[Tim Burton]

I can only imagine they are going to do it the american way too.....cheap and quick, to say they did something about it.

No, that is the federal government way. Seems they always do it that way. An example is when they were paying UP to build the transcontinental railroad, UP built it so quick that they had to literally rebuild it the minute it was done. Trestles were collapsing and the ties were green untreated wood, etc. etc. On the other hand GN's James Hill used 100% private funds. It was build to the best standards, negotiations were done with farmers, Indians and towns. UP got Sherman to go on a killing rampage of indians on the level of his first march.

He also was one of only 3 or 4 (PRR too) that DID NOT declare bankruptcy during the economic down turn in 1873.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_J._Hill

[Tim Burton]

My county (the size of a small state) Maricopa, has only 3 bridges that a bad, most are obsolete. Though 1 of them is a 1/2 mile from my house. It is over a canal. Ten feet to the bottom, 50 feet across.

Most are obsolete, a huge number. Virtually everyone of the freeway on-ramp bridges are obsolete in Phoenix.