Top Five SOLUTIONS for BRIDGES

  1. Investment - All levels of government—federal, state, and local—will have to significantly increase transportation investment if the nation is to preserve what has been built and ensure the modernization essential for future growth. A significant portion of that additional investment would be needed to improve, expand, and widen bridges on the nation’s highways.

  2. Research and Innovation - The safety, longevity, and economy of U.S. bridges are being constantly improved by innovations in design, materials, and technology. Using such advances, a new generation of safe and long-lasting bridges can be built and the life of existing bridges extended. Research on bridge design, materials, and preservation must be continued.

  3. Systematic Maintenance - Through systematic, long-term management systems, states can produce stable conditions for the entire inventory of bridges for the lowest life-cycle cost. The goal is to find the right balance between fixing immediate problems, conducting preventive maintenance, and periodically replacing a reasonable number of old bridges to keep the health of its bridge population stable.

  4. Public Awareness - The Minneapolis bridge collapse on August 1, 2007 was a wake-up call that focused national attention on the importance of the bridges that America takes for granted. Awareness is the first step to a national commitment to increase investment in transportation infrastructure.

  5. Financial Options - Meeting the nation’s bridge needs will require at least two forms of financing options. In metropolitan areas, where major new bridges are needed to accommodate heavy volumes of traffic, tolling can play a significant role in financing costs. In other areas, however, state and local transportation agencies will need to rely on an overall increase in tax revenues to make possible the bridge preservation investments needed.

 

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