Study identifies 55K structurally deficient bridges in US; 31 are in Nevada

WASHINGTON — A new report says the Brooklyn Bridge and Washington’s Arlington Memorial Bridge are among thousands of spans considered structurally deficient.

Although the numbers of deficient bridges have declined in recent years, the American Road & Transportation Builders Association’s analysis of transportation department data shows more than 55,000 bridges in the U.S. have been deemed deficient.

According to the report, of the 1,933 bridges in Nevada, 31, or 2 percent, are classified as structurally deficient. There are 223 bridges, or 12 percent of state bridges, classified as functionally obsolete. This means the bridge does not meet design standards in line with current practice.

ARBTA says deficient bridges are crossed about 185 million times a day. The top 14 most-traveled deficient bridges are located in California.

Bridges labeled structurally deficient aren’t necessarily in immediate danger of collapse. The term is applied when spans need rehabilitation or replacement because at least one major component has advanced deterioration or other problems.