$1.6 billion federal grant announced for long-awaited Brent Spence companion bridge
The Brent Spence Bridge Corridor spans 8 miles from the Western Hills Viaduct in Ohio to Dixie Highway in Kentucky. Every day 160,000 vehicles and $2 billion in freight cross the corridor, twice as much traffic than it was designed to carry when it was built in the early 1960s. We all benefit from investing in America's roads and bridges. American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) reports that:
- More than 43,500 bridges are rated in poor condition and classified as “structurally deficient".
- Motorists cross these structures 167.5 million times a day.
- 36 percent of U.S. bridges—nearly 224,000 spans—need repair work. 78,800 bridges should be replaced.
Check this map for the age and repair conditions of 132 bridges that you might drive over.
Investing in America
Safer roads and bridges
One in five miles, or 173,000 total miles, of our highways and major roads and 45,000 bridges are in poor condition. Bridges in poor condition pose heightened challenges in rural communities, which often may rely on a single bridge for the passage of emergency service vehicles. The bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act will invest $110 billion of new funds for roads, bridges, and major projects.
This investment will repair and rebuild our roads and bridges with a focus on climate change mitigation, resilience, equity, and safety for all users, including cyclists and pedestrians. The bill includes a total of $40 billion of new funding for bridge repair, replacement, and rehabilitation, which is the single largest dedicated bridge investment since the construction of the interstate highway system. - White House
Storytelling with a purpose
How do you summarize details on dozens of bridges? Let readers find the conditions of the bridges that matter most to them? Make it simple, interactive and easy to share on social media?
- A map of the bridges needing attention was created with ArcGIS Online using data from ARTBA.
- A short introductory GIF was created from a CNBC video on YouTube about 'Why U.S. Bridges Are In Such Bad Shape'?
- Links to articles from the White House, Cincinnati.com and MSN were added for further details.
- The map can be freely shared with this link.
American Road & Transportation Builders Assn. (ARTBA)
ARTBA is a non-partisan federation whose primary goal is to aggressively grow and protect transportation infrastructure investment to meet the public and business demand for safe and efficient travel. Data is from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) National Bridge Inventory (NBI), downloaded on January 3, 2022. Note that specific conditions on bridges may have changed as a result of recent work or updated inspections.
TakeAway: Invest in American infrastructure.
Deepak
DemLabs
DISCLAIMER: ALTHOUGH THE DATA FOUND IN THIS BLOG AND INFOGRAPHIC HAS BEEN PRODUCED AND PROCESSED FROM SOURCES BELIEVED TO BE RELIABLE, NO WARRANTY EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED CAN BE MADE REGARDING THE ACCURACY, COMPLETENESS, LEGALITY OR RELIABILITY OF ANY SUCH INFORMATION. THIS DISCLAIMER APPLIES TO ANY USES OF THE INFORMATION WHETHER ISOLATED OR AGGREGATE USES THEREOF.