New report ranks Mower second-worst statewide in bridge structural deficiency

When it comes to bridge maintenance, Mower County appears to be up a creek.

Mower County ranks as the second worst in the state when it comes to bridge upkeep, according to a study released Tuesday by Transportation for America.

However, County Engineer Mike Hanson said the county has been working to replace deficient bridges and has more bridge construction planned for the future.

“We’ve replaced approximately 120 bridges since 1998, and as the bridges age, the elements of the bridges deteriorate, which is normal,” Hanson said. “There are three township bridges this year that will be replaced. We’re working on plans for another 15 of them. We’re well aware of the situation.”

Of the 327 bridges in the county, 77 are listed as structurally deficient. That means more than 23 percent of Mower County’s bridges are in need of maintenance, compared to 8.8 percent statewide.

Sibley County ranked as having the most structurally deficient bridges in the state, with more than 26 percent of its bridges in need of maintenance.

Bridges are generally built to last around 50 years, and although Minnesota’s bridges are below the national average at an average age of 35 years old, the number of Minnesota bridges over 50 could more than double by the year 2030.

“The number of ‘structurally deficient’ bridges is virtually guaranteed to increase over time, as a wave of old bridges reach the end of their designed lives,” the study states. “With one in five bridges built over 50 years ago, almost half of all the nation’s bridges may require major structural investments within the next 15 years.”

According to the Federal Highway Administration, it would require around $71 billion to bring all bridges in the United States up to par.

Hanson said he would need up to $20 million alone to fix the structurally deficient bridges throughout Mower County. The State Legislature typically bonds up to $50 million for bridge repairs throughout the state, but Hanson said that money can sometimes be soaked up by the metro area’s need for repairing and replacing larger, more heavily traveled bridges.

“We have a bridge program that looks at every element in bridges, and the public needs to understand that it doesn’t mean you cant drive across it if it’s structurally deficient,” Hanson said. “At some point a bridge becomes deteriorated enough that the weight of the vehicles going across it needs to be reduced, so there’s signs put up to warn of that.”

Hanson also said the county inspects most bridges on an annual basis, with the exception of a few bridges in very good condition that are inspected every two years.

Although 2011 is a budget year and not a year the Legislature would typically pass a bonding bill, Hanson said he’s heard speculation of a bonding bill this year, which could potentially allow for more bridge upkeep.

“We’re not the only county that has deficient bridges that should someday be replaced,” he said. “I would certainly welcome another bonding bill this year.”