Chicago Bridge Safety
Since the collapse in 2007 of an interstate highway running across the Mississippi River in Minneapolis, authorities in Illinois haven't said much about the poor condition of Illinois bridges. They say its because of the possibility of terrorists threats.
Recently, inspection data hs been released which details what is wrong with may of the state's bridges and what work will be needed to make keep them safe.
A portion of the Congress Parkway bridge got the lowest rating possible for a portion of bridge that has been allowed to stay open.
IDOT officials say that the number of bridges that ranked poorly has gone down, marginally, since 2008. However, there is additional money available for repairs from the stimulus package and the state.
Release of the information on the inspections is an about- face for the State. Governor Blagojevich refused to release the information siting concerns that terrorists could use the information to target bridges in Chicago including the Congress Parkway Bridge.
Now the state wants to reassure Illinois motorists that our bridges and roadways are safe.
Officials say there are just over 1500 bridges in in the state that have been labeled structurally deficient. This means that they are safe to drive on, but they can no longer withstand the weight that they were designed for when they were built. Additionally, these bridges do not meet updated standards and are considered to be obsolete in their function.
Since receiving the funding from the stimulus package, the state is playing catch-up. Todd Ahrens, a bridge planning engineer with IDOT says that there is a backlog of bridges because they are either waiting to be repaired or the state has not yet received the funding to make the repairs.
He does say that any bridge that is deemed unsafe will not be open to traffic.
Information about the inspection of the bridges can be viewed at Bridge Information
