The Virginia Department of Transportation is making sure the bridges drivers cross each day are safe by pumping 2.3 billion dollars into fixing those that are considered structurally deficient all across the state.
There are 20,991 bridges in Virginia and as of May 24, 1,576 are listed as structurally deficient while 3,314 are listed as functionally obsolete.
The Federal Highway Administration says a bridge is considered “structurally deficient” when the structure must be monitored, inspected and maintained.
According to the FHWA’s Web site, the fact that a bridge is “deficient” does not imply that it is likely to collapse or that it is unsafe.
By the end of 2012’s fiscal year 89 bridges in Hampton Roads were considered structurally deficient. That includes:
- Interstate 64 eastbound on ramp at Northampton Blvd in Norfolk
- Overpass on 64 eastbound at Northampton Blvd in Norfolk
- The Centerville Turnpike bridge in Chesapeake
- Interstate 264 Overpass at Lynnhaven Pkwy in Virginia Beach
- Laskin Road Bridge at Linkhorn Bay in Virginia Beach
- Shore Drive Bridge at Lynnhaven Inlet in Virginia Beach
Click here to see the chart of all Hampton Roads Bridges. Look for the letters “SD” under the heading “Struc Defic” to see which bridges are listed as “structurally deficient.” It is the 19th column in the chart.
Click here to read the state of The Structures and Bridges Report.
