Crosscut Now
Jan. 19, 2023 - WA has 530 bridges in 'poor' condition
1/19/2023 | 1m 15sVideo has Closed Captions
WA has 530 bridges in 'poor' condition — and limited repair money.
Even with $605 million in federal aid, the state can't catch up with its growing maintenance backlog.
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Crosscut Now is a local public television program presented by Cascade PBS
Crosscut Now
Jan. 19, 2023 - WA has 530 bridges in 'poor' condition
1/19/2023 | 1m 15sVideo has Closed Captions
Even with $605 million in federal aid, the state can't catch up with its growing maintenance backlog.
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
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Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorship(upbeat music) - I'm Starla Sampaco in the Crosscut KCTS 9 newsroom.
Of the roughly 10,000 bridges around the state, about 530 are in poor condition, the lowest assessment by the Washington State Department of Transportation.
And in Grays Harbor County, nearly 1 in 10 bridges are in poor condition, including several highly trafficked spans in Downtown Aberdeen and Hoquiam.
The federal $1.2 trillion Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will provide a $605 million boost over five years starting in 2022 to help the state make a dent in its growing list of bridge maintenance and replacement work.
But even with additional money on top of what the state already invests each year, it still won't be enough.
Transportation officials estimate that just catching up on repairs to state-owned bridges would take more than $150 million annually.
I'm Starla Sampaco.
To learn more, visit Washington Recovery Watch on crosscut.com.
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Crosscut Now is a local public television program presented by Cascade PBS