Posted on 08/01/2007 6:20:17 PM PDT by SelectiveJNJ
The U.S. Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has rated almost 200,000 bridges, or one of every three bridges in the U.S., as structurally deficient or functionally obsolete. Furthermore, more than one-fourth of all bridges are over 50 years old, the average design-life of a bridge. The Strategic Highway Research Program (SHRP) of the U.S. National Research Council recently estimated that the cost of damage to America's bridges currently stands at about $20 billion and is increasing at the rate of $500 million per year. SHRP concluded that the structural deterioration found in these bridges is primarily the result of corrosion.
(Excerpt) Read more at nace.org ...
Just like NO... “it’ll never happen here, so let’s buy some new toys for our city/county/state”.
Quite possible — bear in mind that “functionally obsolescent” could be something as simple as having lane widths which are less than how we would build on a similar bridge today.
All those road taxes and fuel taxes went WHERE ?
Not to be too skeptical, but the standard questions apply:
1. What was the sample size (or a census?)
2. Do the authors have a financial interest in the outcome?
3. Who funded the study?
Pelosi’s and Reid’s fault.
And from the WA state legislators' promises that not wearing a seatbelt would ever be a primary (pull-over) offense.
Liars. Proven liars.
Give ‘em an inch and they’ll take away your liberties.
This ceratinly is a new report, but the results are the very same as the reports when I was a kid in the 1960’s, 40 years ago.
I remember that one clearly, as I had to cross a very small bridge regularly, and went down to examine it myself. It looked OK to me way back then. I must have been right, it’s still in use.
Well, in Texas a big chunk goes to pay for the public schools.
Freeing up property tax collections for what other corrupt political boondoggle?
Just ask the drivers in Minneapolis.
Bigger football stadiums for one thing. Our local district chose to build a new sports complex before adding onto the high school, which was overcrowded. Being overcrowded, it could not accept students from the nearby district. Unable to draw on additional students, the school got less money from the state, because payment is based on ADA.
Right off the bat, I noticed that “structurally deficient or functionally obsolete” statement, too. Gee, does that sound like weasel wording.
Even “structurally deficient” could mean anything from “near critical failure”, to “fails in one inspection area—excessive rust on 1 bolt”.
But “functionally obsolete” takes the cake as being meaningless gobbledygook. The function of a bridge is to bridge something. If it is properly doing that, it is functional.
Obsolete, on the other hand, is not based on what the bridge is doing, but what you want to do with it. Obsolescence just means that you are no longer satisfied with what it is, you want it to do something it currently cannot. Something becomes obsolete with the stroke of a pen.
The use of NaCl to melt ice and snow for 40 or 50 years
on a bridge IMO had an effect on the structual integrity.
What else would one expect from libs?
Yes but how many years can we extend the useful lives of these Bridges if we go back to Horse and Oxen for Transportation?
Green Living will set us Free! Praise ALGORE!!!
Besides Hillary is going to take from us, to make everything Perfect anyway, I assume since she is perfect, bridges are in her plan, everyone knows her plan is perfect and covers every contingency, she just won’t tell anyone except Joe Biden and she pillow talks a little to Janet Reno whose little Girl friends pass a little off to Bill when they are not having non sexual relations (understand that regular sinks are a big turn off to the Ex).
Seriously though Politicians have squandered Money that has been allotted or set aside for Bridge Replacement, County Commissioners etc have had control over those funds, granted sometimes areas grow faster than projected and new Bridges need to be built, but... increased Population Pays for it, moving Money Around is “THE” Politicians Shell Game and they need to be charged, convicted and punished (execute two or three like they do in China and you will probably get their attention), short of that you get the Government that you deserve.
TT
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