News and Views

The Virginian-Pilot : Editorial: Crumbling bridges still cause for alarm in Va.

The Virginian-Pilot

A RECENT REPORT that says nearly 650 bridges in Virginia are structurally deficient should be yet another call for action to improve vital infrastructure in the commonwealth.

The report from the American Road Transportation Builders Associations shows that Virginia has made some progress in recent years. Five years ago, in 2014, 2,033 bridges were rated structurally deficient. The latest figure is 646.

But there are a couple of factors to consider before we congratulate ourselves.

For one, although considerable bridge repair or replacement has been accomplished, a change in how bridges are evaluated likely accounts for some of the improved numbers.

The Federal Highway Administration in 2017 changed the qualifications for determining whether a bridge is structurally deficient. It removed two measures from the equation: insufficient waterway openings and bridges whose overall structure evaluation was rated in poor condition. As a result of this change, the number of bridges across the country classified as deficient dropped significantly.

The other factor is that 646 is still a lot of structurally deficient bridges in Virginia. It may sound flippant to say, but it’s true: All it takes is one bridge failure, and you’ve got a terrible disaster.

Another telling statistic in the report is that every day in Virginia, there are about 3.4 million crossings of bridges that have been judged to need significant repairs.

Of course, here in the Hampton Roads region, where you can hardly get anywhere without crossing water, bridges are essential. Trying to cross bridges that are jammed is a daily headache for most of us. So is keeping track of when various bridges will be closed to traffic. We don’t need to be worrying about whether it’s safe to drive across a bridge.

Virginia highway officials, like those in other states and in the federal government, believe that most bridges deemed structurally deficient are still usable. Bridges are evaluated in three main categories: the deck, which is what the traffic drives on; the substructure, which is the supports that hold the bridge up; and the superstructure, which is everything above the substructure. If a bridge gets a score of four or less in any of those categories, on a scale of zero to nine, it’s defined as deficient.

The Virginia Department of Transportation inspects every bridge at least once every two years, and it looks more frequently at those that have been labeled structurally deficient.

That’s comforting to a degree, but it doesn’t negate the urgent need to improve bridges and other vital infrastructure, here and across the commonwealth.

In addition to bridges, transportation infrastructure includes thousands of miles of public roads across Virginia. The American Society of Civil Engineers estimates that 11% of Virginia’s public roads are in poor condition, costing drivers in terms of extra wear and tear on vehicles, and are potentially a safety threat.

Railroads, local transit systems, airports, ports and inland waterways need attention. The infrastructure that gets clean drinking water to most citizens also needs maintenance and improvement.

Virginia has 31 sites on the Superfund National Priorities list of places with hazardous material, pollutants or contaminants that need to be cleaned up, posing a health threat to people and wildlife.

Across the commonwealth, there are 2,790 dams, with 356 considered to have a high potential for hazard. There are levees in Norfolk and Gloucester County that must be maintained.

School facilities need improvement, and public parks have millions of dollars worth of unmet needs.

The list goes on. Like maintaining a home, the need to keep the commonwealth’s infrastructure in good repair never goes away. Constant vigilance is needed, and it can be dangerous to fall behind.

Other issues and needs may get more attention as state officials debate policy and parcel out money. Sometimes it’s all too easy to push needed work on the infrastructure down the list of priorities. But infrastructure is what keeps things going. It’s essential not only to the economy but also to our health and safety.

Read the full article and more in the Virginian-Pilot.
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