How Your State's Bridges Stack Up Against the Rest of the Country

"The report provides overall highway performance scores ranging from 1 to 50, with 50 being the best. The rankings are generated using 13 category scores, including deficient bridges, traffic fatalities, traffic congestion, urban and rural pavement conditions, spending per mile, and administrative costs per mile of highway. And finally, we've included each state's most impressive bridge , which came from Love Exploring."

"Many Americans cross bridges each day on their daily commute. Reliable bridges are critical for public safety and the nation's economy. However, most bridges in America were built to last 50 to 70 years, and 42% of bridges are at least 50 years old . While bridges get inspected every two years, and those deemed deficient are eligible for federal funding for repairs,"

States are ranked by the percentage of structurally deficient bridges using thirteen category scores that include deficient bridges, traffic fatalities, congestion, pavement conditions, spending per mile, and administrative costs per mile. Overall highway performance scores range from 1 to 50, where higher values indicate better performance. Many bridges in the United States are at least 50 years old, and typical design lifespans span 50 to 70 years. Bridges receive inspections every two years and deficient structures can qualify for federal repair funding. Increased spending on bridge rehabilitation is necessary to restore and maintain bridge safety and reliability.

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