So do we have a list of structurally unsound bridges in the United States, or did we just forget

[lonestarnot]

about those?

[RKP5637]

1. Forgot, along with many things. n/t

[TheKentuckian]

2. We can't stay focused on the bridges falling down, the state of our sewers, the condition of water

mains, the lack of reliability of the electrical grid, and the rest that is a mess because no one wants to seriously invest in the country, because so many things are a complete mess that is hard to focus, because the corporate media will not focus on such because it is counter to their mission, and the politicians have largely decided to ignore the infrastructure for decades and wish to continue doing so in order to fund wars, tax cuts for the top 20%, and corporate welfare.

[Tippy]

3. I am sure there is a list....but why read it if there is no money to fix them

They should have been repaired before our economey tanked...but why do it today. there is always tomarrow.

[WiffenPoof]

11. Well, We Seemed To Have Enough Money...

to bail out the banks.

-PLA

[lonestarnot]

20. And keep that richie rich tax rip-off running for two more years ++++

[Tippy]

21. Fedral money bailed out the banks...State money fixes bridges....

[WiffenPoof]

22. Ooops...Good Point

However, I see no reason why the Federal Government can't be involved...in that it would help unemplyment.

-PLA

[taterguy]

24. Lots of federal money pays for roads

There's the Federal Highway Trust Fund. I'm too lazy to Google for an exact amount. Trust me, it's a lot.

Of course this just illustrates that there's a basic level of ignorance about government spending.

I think of myself as a reasonably intelligent person but I couldn't come close to guessing total government expenditures on roads.

[obxhead]

4. Forget? Ha, it would have had to be an issue first to be forgotten.

We are a nation that kills and destroys now, not a nation that builds and discovers.

[RKP5637]

9. Yep, big money has been found in waging wars and selling arms. n/t

[Overseas]

5. We are supposed to forget because infrastructure repair might call for Government Jobs

and we are supposed to think those are baaaad.

[bluestate10]

6. Fixing them is a priority in my state.

They were reduced by 11% during my state's re-elected governor's first term. As I drive around it looks like the pace of repair is higher today.

[spanone]

7. infrastructure, that's something politicians only give lip service

[Jackpine Radical]

8. Here's one.

[WiffenPoof]

10. Is It Asking Too Much...

to have some of our hard-earned tax dollars go to some sort of WPA program to put people to work while fixing our infrastructure?

-PLA

[leeroysphitz]

12. It is and will be until the 50% of voters get tired of living in a third world nation

and allow we the people to fund and use our governments again.

[pinboy3niner]

13. More info...

From the American Society of Civil Engineers:

Bridges

More than 26%, or one in four, of the nation’s bridges are either structurally deficient or functionally obsolete. While some progress has been made in recent years to reduce the number of deficient and obsolete bridges in rural areas, the number in urban areas is rising. A $17 billion annual investment is needed to substantially improve current bridge conditions. Currently, only $10.5 billion is spent annually on the construction and maintenance of bridges.

http://www.infrastructurereportcard.org/fact-sheet/bridges

ASCE identifies solutions at the link.

[Hello_Kitty]

14. Letting bridges fall down is part of the austerity plan

We can't have the rabble getting used to luxuries such as "structurally sound bridges" now can we?

[tabbycat31]

15. it's called the Tappan Zee Bridge

I cross it whenever I go to my parents' house and I am scared to death whenever I cross it. NY does not exactly have the $$$ to fix it.

It was designed to last about 50 years. Those 50 years were up before I started driving.

[RKP5637]

19. Gosh, I remember when it was new and using it back then ... n/t

[Buns_of_Fire]

16. MSNBC has a nifty little "Bridge Tracker", see also the Bureau of Transportation Statistics...

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21840954/

http://www.bts.gov/current_topics/2009_03_18_bridge_data/

[Gregorian]

17. There is a list, and it is documented.

I was in a materials engineering course in the 80's, and the professor was an expert on corrosion. He took time from teaching to travel around the US documenting bridge corrosion for the DOT. When he returned and gave us the presentation on what he found, it was remarkable at how disheveled our infrastructure was. And that was now a long time ago.

I'm sorry, but I think we spent our cash on bombs. Forget it. Move on. We're now a third world country. Unless we want to change our priorities.

[Lucian]

18. It was the "bad thing of the week" here in MN in August 2007.

But once the heat was gone in the media about structurally unsound bridges, the state government decided to forget about them.

[Ezlivin]

23. Only those who hate our country would say bad things about our bridges

Get with the Republican love fest. Everything is great in this country and can only get better if we could stop regulating/inspecting everything!

I'm confident that the free market will come up with a quick answer to these "problems"!