Where Are America’s Most Vulnerable Bridges?
April 29, 2024
Hundreds of aging “fracture critical” bridges across the US are in poor condition, according to federal data. But weighing their needs and safety risks is a challenge.
On any given day, motorists make some 87,000 trips across the Calcasieu River Bridge, which carries Interstate 10 over the north end of Lake Charles, Louisiana. That’s more than double the traffic load it was designed for when it opened in 1952. The bridge has since gone the way of much of America’s aging infrastructure: in urgent need of replacement.
