Detroit: Report: Michigan bridges rank 13th worst in America; One out of every eight bridges in the state is deteriorating

By Mike Householder Associated Press DETROIT (AP) -- Michigan ranks 13th worst nationally in the overall condition of its bridges, according to a report released this week by an advocacy group. The Transportation for America report found 13.1 percent of Michigan's bridges are "structurally deficient" according to federal standards, compared with a U.S. average of 11.5 percent. In all, one out of every eight bridges that motorists in Michigan cross each day is deteriorating to some degree, the report said. As of 2010, Michigan had 10,928 highway bridges, with 4,402 of them owned by the state; 6,447 owned by local counties, cities and towns; and 79 owned by other entities, such as private businesses and federal agencies. Of those 10,928 highway bridges, 1,437 of them were found to be structurally deficient, said Transportation for America, a Washington, D.C.-based group that works on federal transportation issues. Its Michigan organizer, CeCe Grant, said Transportation for America vetted the report through the state Department of Transportation before publication and has worked previously with MDOT and other state agencies on various transportation issues. Kirk Steudle, director of the Michigan Department of Transportation, said bridges in Michigan are closed if they truly are unsafe, and that drivers shouldn't be worried as they travel over the state's spans. "If the bridge is open, the bridge is safe. It's been inspected by our bridge engineers, and we take that very seriously," he said. "If there's something that needs to be taken out of service, it will be taken out of service immediately." The report released Monday relied on federal statistics and also found that 40 of Michigan's 83 counties have average bridge conditions that are worse than the statewide average. Missaukee County in the northwestern part of the Lower Peninsula has the worst average bridge condition, with 13 of 42 bridges -- or 31 percent -- considered to be structurally deficient. Four counties in Michigan tied for the best. The report found Keweenaw, Leelanau, Montmorency and Otsego counties have no structurally deficient bridges. "It's pretty striking to see that we have over 1,400 bridges here that are structurally deficient. But you have to recognize that really we're talking about the tip of a very large iceberg," said Keith Ledbetter with the Michigan Infrastructure & Transportation Association. "We have many, many more bridges, thousands more bridges, that need at least routine maintenance so that it doesn't get to the point of being considered structurally deficient to begin with." One bit of good news in the report is that the average age of bridges in Michigan is 41.3 years old, which comes in slightly under the national average of 42. The report said most bridges are designed to last roughly 50 years. "We take a slightly different approach with that 50 years and say that with the right kind of maintenance and preventative maintenance, we can extend that life indefinitely," Steudle said. The report also found that Michigan is currently spending all of its federal bridge money on bridge repair. "Even though Michigan is currently ranked 13th worst in the nation, Michigan has been singled out on the report ... as having some of the best practices in the nation in terms of aggressively going after maintaining and repairing the infrastructure we have," Grant said. Published: Wed, Mar 30, 2011