October 31, 2008 -- State Transportation Director Kirk T. Steudle today announced that the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) has again updated information on the MDOT Web site at www.michigan.gov/highwaybridgereport about the safety of 4,398 state highway bridges.
This is the fourth time MDOT has made bridge safety information available on the Web. State bridges can be downloaded by route number and/or county, and are current as of Oct. 1, 2008. Only highway bridges greater than 20 feet in length are included. Ratings for pedestrian and locally- owned bridges are not included. MDOT is making updates on the Web four times a year.
"By releasing the latest bridge inspection report, MDOT is continuing its commitment to be open and transparent with this information. Citizens can be assured that Michigan's bridges are safe, carefully inspected and well maintained," said Steudle. "We are using our limited resources to maintain the state highway bridge network to the best of our ability. When we need to take action, we will."
National Bridge Inspection Standards require MDOT to inspect bridges every two years. The Mackinac, International, and Blue Water bridges are inspected annually, exceeding federal requirements. These three bridges are managed by bridge authorities, and their ratings are not included in the list MDOT has posted to the Web.
Of the 4,398 bridges on the Oct. 1, 2008 report, 510 have been classified with the engineering term of "structurally deficient," meaning they may require repair, modernizing or replacement at some time in the future; 921 bridges are classified as "functionally obsolete" or outdated. The department is reporting 27 fewer structurally deficient bridges and 16 more functionally obsolete bridges in October than it did in June, the third time it put bridge inspection information online.
Protect Michigan families: Where Workers Present Drive 45! -A message from MDOT and Michigan's Give 'em a Brake Safety Coalition
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