Charlotte area bridges near top of structurally deficient list

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CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A new study finds more than 61,000 bridges nationwide are structurally deficient and unless Congress acts, federal highway funding is set to expire on May 31.

North Carolina's bridges are near the top of the list.

(Click here to read the full report)

Not only is the Charlotte area one of the worst, it's also one of the busiest in the state.

For example, while the bridge at Interstate 277 over Brevard Street is deficient, the N.C. Department of Transportation has given it a sufficiency rating of 68.

That number is important because to qualify for federal bridge replacement funding it has to have a rating of less than 50. The rating of 68 does qualify for federal rehabilitation funding though.

According to a study by the American Road and Transportation Builders Association, North Carolina ranks 8th for the number of structurally deficient bridges nationally -- 2,199.

State DOT officials said the bridges are safe to drive on but they need repairs and can only carry a certain amount of weight.

According to NCDOT officials, 15 bridges are considered structurally deficient in Mecklenburg County alone.

For its part, NCDOT said it is investing $800 million in bridge improvements across the state, but repairs for federally funded bridges are dependent on funding from Congress -- which is still in limbo with a looming deadline less than two months away.

The top 10 most heavily traveled structurally compromised bridges in the state are:

  • Greensboro Bridge (Guilford County)
  • US-52 and US-311 over US-311 (Forsyth County)
  • US-52 over 28th Street (Forsyth County)
  • US-52 over 25th Street (Forsyth County)
  • I-277 and NC-1 over Brevard Street (Mecklenburg County)
  • I-40 BUS over SR 4315 (Liberty Street) (Forsyth County)
  • US-421 over Little Creek (Forsyth County)
  • US-52/US-311/NC-8 over Diggs Boulevard (Forsyth County)
  • US-52/US-311/NC-8 over I-40 and US-311 (Forsyth County)
  • US-19 23 70 over NC-251 (Buncombe County)

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