There doesn’t appear to be anything wrong with 20 highway bridges in West Virginia that are of a design similar to that used for a bridge that collapsed Aug. 1 in Minnesota, state Transportation Secretary Paul Mattox said recently.
Good.
That leaves just 6,323 other bridges about which Mountain State motorists need to worry.
Pardon the sarcasm which in no way is aimed at Mattox and his agency. We think Mattox would be among the first to understand—and agree with—our point. It is that the state simply doesn’t have enough money to maintain its highways and bridges adequately.
Mattox said that state inspectors have finished examining the 20 bridges with designs like the one that collapsed in Minnesota, killing 13 people. All 20 of the West Virginia bridges in question seem to be in good shape, Mattox said.
The same cannot be said for all 6,323 other bridges for which the state Division of Highways is responsible.
Under federal law, bridges must be inspected at least once every two years. Mattox noted that inspections are conducted more frequently if specific problems are revealed. Fortunately, the DOH is forced to close bridges for safety reasons only rarely.
But unless attention is given to the gap between money available for highway and bridge work and that needed during coming years, look for the agency to have to close an increasing number of bridges during the next several years—with no money available to repair or replace them.
Gov. Joe Manchin and state legislators have done what they could to enhance highway and bridge maintenance funding during the past few years. Still, however, what is available lags behind what is needed. Some means of closing the funding gap needs to be found, as quickly as possible.