MDOT Calls Some West Michigan Bridges ‘Structurally Deficient’

For the first time since August 2007, the Michigan Department of Transportation has released a new report on Michigan's 4,399 state highway bridges.  Unfortunately, the news is not all good for West Michigan.

WZZM reports:

In Kent County, eight bridges are considered structurally deficient, including the Leonard Street bridge over Interstate 96, the Fuller Avenue bridge over Interstate 196, and the 100th Street bridge over U.S. 131.

MDOT says there are 304 structurally deficient bridges statewide and 955 functionally obsolete bridges.

MDOT explains what that means:

Structurally Deficient (SD) Status

- A highway bridge is classified as structurally deficient if the deck, superstructure, substructure, or culvert is rated in "poor" condition (0 to 4 in the NBI rating scale). A bridge can also be classified as structurally deficient if its load carrying capacity is significantly below current design standards, or if a waterway below frequently overtops the bridge during floods.

Functionally Obsolete (FO) Status

- Highway bridges classified as functionally obsolete are NOT structurally deficient, but their design is outdated. They may have lower load carrying capacity, narrower shoulders, or less clearance underneath than bridges built to the current standard.

Not exactly light reading, but it's good to know the state of our bridges.  Review the complete MDOT report for a county-by-county review of bridges.