Bridges across Pennsylvania are aging well past their expiration date, leading to the possibility of dangerous conditions along roadways.
Once considered a hallmark of the state’s infrastructure, Pennsylvania’s bridge conditions are now rated as one of the lowest in the country. A recent report from TRIP, a national transportation research nonprofit group, found that over 2,800 bridges across the state (13%) were in poor condition. This is nearly double the national average at 7%.
In the Philadelphia area, the state of bridges is even worse. A news release from the same organization (TRIP) reported that “14 percent (438 out of the 3,166) of bridges are rated in poor condition.”
A significant part of the problem is the ever-increasing age of the state’s bridges. The typical design-life for bridges is 50 years, but many in PA are passing or have already passed that point. The TRIP study found that, “statewide, the average age of all bridges is 55 years, while the average age of the state’s bridges that are rated in poor condition is 84 years. In the Philadelphia area, the average age of all bridges is 62 years and the average age of all bridges in poor condition is 93 years.”
The TRIP report is not alone in condemning the condition of Pennsylvania’s bridges. The American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) shows the number of bridges in need of repair steadily on the rise from 2019 – 2023 and the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) has consistently downgraded the state’s bridge infrastructure.
With over 22,000 bridges statewide, the status of this vital infrastructure has reached a breaking point. This all came to a head when the Fern Hollow Bridge in Pittsburgh’s Squirrel Hill neighborhood catastrophically collapsed on Jan. 28, 2022, just hours before a visit from President Biden.
In an article from the Associated Press Jennifer L. Homendy, director of the National Transportation Safety Board, said, “The Fern Hollow Bridge collapse never should have happened.” Homendy went on to describe extensive corrosion and “repeated failures to act” on the maintenance of the bridge.
In November of 2021, President Biden signed into law a $1.2 trillion, federally-funded infrastructure bill. According to the White House’s website, $15.8 billion was allocated for transportation projects in Pennsylvania, with $11.1 billion specifically authorized for bridges and highways. These funds will focus on the repair of current roads and projects through different federal grants. Nearly three years after the signing of the bill, PA still remains second worst in the nation for the number of structurally deficient bridges according to the ARTBA.
