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Fixing Virginia's Deficient Bridges Will Cost $3.25 Billion
After the recent bridge collapse in Minnesota, the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) undertook a comprehensive review of the status of Virginia's bridges. According to a document released by VDOT almost 1,800 of the Commonwealth's bridges and culverts are structurally deficient. Fixing the problem carries a price tag of over $3.0 billion.
By VDOT's standards a bridge is rated as structurally deficient for one of three reasons: if there are elements of the structure that need to be monitored or repaired, if it has been restricted to light vehicles, or if it has been closed to traffic.
Of the 20,838 bridges and culverts throughout the state, 1,746 (8.3%) have been rated as structurally deficient.
VDOT has outlined a replacement cost estimate for these structures, based upon the following factors:
- The new length and width calculated for these new structures must meet current geometric design standards based on roadway functional classification and vehicular traffic count.
- The latest approved construction unit cost by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is $136 per square foot for bridges and $55 per square foot for large culverts.
- Approach roadway work is estimated at 30 percent of bridge construction cost.
- Right of way is estimated at five percent of bridge construction cost.
- Mobilization is estimated at 10 percent of total construction cost.
- Maintenance of traffic is estimated at 40 percent of total construction cost.
- Construction Engineering and Inspections is estimated at 32 percent of total construction cost.
- Preliminary Engineering is estimated at 45 percent of the total construction cost.
With all of the above factors included, VDOT estimates that it would cost the Commonwealth $3.25 billion to replace all of our 1,746 structurally deficient bridges. This is more than the entire new transportation funding package passed by the General Assembly last year.
Number of bridges in Virginia with a sufficiency rating of 50 or below
Bridge sufficiency ratings are based on a 0-100 scale with 100 being the best and 0 being the worst.
Virginia has over 1,233 bridges of 50 or below.
Here is a breakdown of these bridges by district.
District
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Number of bridges with ratings of 50 or below
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Bristol
Culpeper
Fredericksburg
Hampton Roads
Lynchburg
Northern Virginia
Richmond
Salem
Staunton
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241
93
28
59
121
20
150
268
253
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For more information regarding the Commonwealth's bridges and sufficiency ratings for the state, click here.
Virginians for Better Transportation would like to acknowledge that VDOT does an exceptional job of inspecting and monitoring the Commonwealth's bridges, but the General Assembly must provide VDOT with sufficient funding to replace/repair our aging bridges.
To find contact information for your local legislator, click here.
For more information about the transportation funding crisis or Virginians for Better Transportation, call 804-237-1399 or click here to visit the It's Time Web site.
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