[Baltimore Sun] Pennsylvania fixed more poor bridges in 2023 than everybody else
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Pennsylvania’s roads and bridges tend to get mocked (and often) by residents and experts alike.
But for some of its worst-rated infrastructure, the state has poured money into improving it over the last year.
“The commonwealth saw a larger drop in the number of poor-condition bridges from 2023 to 2024 than any state in the nation,” PennDOT announced Thursday in a press release.
More than 200 bridges were repaired or replaced in 2023 that were at least 20 feet long, upgrading 90 bridges from a poor condition rating. For 2024, the Shapiro administration has 300 bridge projects advancing.
“PennDOT has been making steady progress to repair the Commonwealth’s bridges for years. In 2008, Pennsylvania had more than 6,000 state-owned bridges classified as in poor condition – but since then, PennDOT has successfully repaired or replaced more than 3,000 bridges,” the press release noted.
The state has more than 25,000 bridges longer than eight feet.
Bridges have garnered more attention in the state since the collapse of Pittsburgh’s Fern Hollow Bridge in 2022. Following the collapse, the federal government sent $1.6 billion to fix more than 3,300 bridges in the state that were in poor condition.
“Infrastructure is critical to our Commonwealth’s progress, and our ability to complete major projects is key to spurring economic growth and creating real opportunity,” Gov. Josh Shapiro said.
His administration cited over $300 million in new infrastructure funding for Pennsylvania’s roads and bridges since he took office.
How to pay for bridge repairs has been a long-standing issue; legislators have argued “nobody wants to pay” for maintenance. Despite those hurdles, Pennsylvania has come a long way. In 2008, more than 6,000 bridges had issues, but now, the count is down to fewer than 2,200 bridges. Ownership of the state’s bridges, and therefore responsibility, is split between local municipalities and PennDOT.
But the problem remains a major one across the commonwealth.
In a 2023 report from the Reason Foundation on the nation’s highways, Pennsylvania ranked 41st for road quality and cost-effectiveness.
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