County Commission | The Magazine December 2018 | Page 19

FROM THE COVER
Bridges on Borrowed Time
Bridges are typically built for a service life of
50 years. After the half-century mark, the spans
are overdue for rebuilding and more likely to
be subject to weight limits, which can interfere
with efficient travel for school buses, log trucks,
emergency responders and others.
The average county has 58 bridges that are at
least a half century old.
On average, current funding will allow a county
to rebuild three bridges within the next 5 years.
That means, in each county, 55 bridges
already more than 50 years old will remain
untouched through 2023, and that number does
not include the additional structures that will pass
the half-century mark in the meantime.
Number of County Bridges 50+ Years Old
100+ 25 - 49
75-99 24 or Fewer
50-74
Digging Deeper:
Bridge Construction
5-Year Projection
58
3
Average Number of
Bridges Age 50+
Per County
Average Number of Bridge
Projects Per County Over
the Next 5 Years
COUNTY COMMISSION | 19