Report: Repairing U.S. bridges would cost $140 billion (CNN)

[eppur_se_muova]

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- It would cost at least $140 billion to repair all the nation's bridges if work began immediately, a nationwide safety organization said in a comprehensive report Monday.

The price tag will rise if the repairs are delayed, the group said.

"States simply cannot keep up with bridge maintenance," the report warns, adding that 73 percent of U.S. road traffic -- and 90 percent of truck traffic -- travels over state-owned bridges.

Nearly one in four bridges needs repairs, and the average age of America's bridges is 43 years -- seven years shy of the maximum age for which most are designed, according to the report, titled "Bridging the Gap."

One in five U.S. bridges is more than 50 years old, the report says.
***
more: http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/07/28/bridge.report/index.html

[spanone]

1. too bad, guess the iraqi bridges are doing fine

i'm always amazed at how we find the money for war

[Bluebear]

2. And it would employ thousands. Too bad we only print money for Bush's Iraqi adventures.

[RNdaSilva]

3. Even more reason to support a summer Gas Tax Holiday.

:sarcasm:

[malaise]

4. Obama must begin this process on 1/22/09

Gobama.