One-quarter of Connecticut”™s bridges are functionally obsolete and 8 percent are structurally deficient, according to a data analysis released by the American Road & Transportation Builders Association.
Connecticut is home to 4,214 bridges, and 1,072 of these bridges ”“ or 25 percent ”“ were functionally obsolete due to their failure to meet design standards in line with current bridge construction practices. More troubling is the 338 bridges, or 8 percent of the state”™s total, that were classified as structurally deficient, which means one or more of the bridges”™ key elements were either in a “poor” condition or worse.
Six Fairfield County bridges that are among the state”™s most traveled were identified as being structurally deficient, including the Yankee Doodle Bridge over the Norwalk River, which was built in 1957, and the bridge carrying Route 15 over the Saugatuck River that was built in 1938.
The association also noted that the state has identified needed repairs on 88 bridges, which are estimated to total $917 million. Over the last 10 years, 143 bridges have been constructed in Connecticut while 130 have undergone major reconstruction.
