November 7, 2007

NSBA exhorts Congress to fund more
bridge inspection and repair

CHICAGO, IL — The National Steel Bridge Alliance today vigorously endorsed the efforts of Rep. James Oberstar in the U.S. House of Representatives to improve bridge inspections and fund repair of this country’s most dangerous bridges. Oberstar, who chairs the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, recently introduced the National Highway Bridge Inspection and Reconstruction Act.

Conn Abnee, Executive Director of the NSBA, noted that this bill, if passed, would upgrade the training of bridge inspectors and increase the frequency of inspections for bridges classified as structurally deficient. “It would also prevent states from re-allocating federal funds authorized for bridge repairs to other transportation projects,” said Abnee.

“The $2 billion authorized by the bill represents a step in the right direction,” he said. “But it’s kind of a baby step.  We would have rather seen an amount closer to the $25 billion in Oberstar’s original plan.  But, even the $25 billion pales against the estimated $180 billion needed to fix our failing bridges—a figure cited by the nation’s civil engineers.”

Abnee admitted that raising the necessary public funds is a tough sell. “Nobody wants to authorize more fees and taxes. But the money has to come from somewhere. How many more disasters like the recent collapse of the I-35W bridge in Minneapolis will we need to spur real action in Congress,” he said. “It’s a matter of public safety.”