Unsafe Bridges on Federal-Aid Highways Need More Attention

The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) is an independent agency that works for Congress. The GAO watches over Congress, and investigates how the federal government spends taxpayers dollars. The Comptroller General of the United States is the leader of the GAO, and is appointed to a 15-year term by the U.S. President. The GAO wants to support Congress, while at the same time doing right by the citizens of the United States. They audit, investigate, perform analyses, issue legal decisions and report anything that the government is doing. This is one of their reports.

The Federal Highway Administration estimates that it would cost $41.1 billion to replace or rehabilitate the more than 200,000 deficient bridges in the Nation. The Federal bridge program-currently funded at slightly more than $1 billion per year -- helps States and local governments to finance replacement or rehabilitation of these bridges by providing up to 80 percent of project costs. GAO found that the program is not as effective as it could be because of its broad criteria for funding eligibility -- those bridges most in need of attention are not always selected. GAO also found that States and local governments are not fully complying with the National Bridge Inspection Standards.