Many Area Bridges Have Issues

Ever have an uneasy feeling driving across a bridge?  A new report probably doesn’t help ease the fears.

A coalition called Transportation for America says 8.5 percent of bridges in Illinois are rated structurally deficient according to government standards.  Locally, nearly 14 percent of Bureau County’s 383 bridges are considered structurally deficient.  That’s 11^th highest percentage in Illinois.

The report says 13 percent of Putnam County’s 46 bridges are structurally deficient, which is 16^th highest percentage in Illinois.  In La Salle County, six percent of the 513 bridges are deemed structurally deficient which is in the bottom half of the state.

According to the report, nearly 12 percent of the country’s bridges are deficient.