How safe are bridges in West Virginia?
Deputy state highway engineer John Walker has found himself asked that question with frequency since Wednesday’s collapse of the I-35W bridge in Minneapolis.
The answer, he says, is that of the nearly 7,000 bridges in West Virginia, an estimated 1,000 are structurally deficient. He explains that designation is given if Division of Highways inspectors discover major problems such as concrete breaking away from reinforced steel or excessive potholes.
Inspection teams perform regular checks on the bridges throughout the state, utilizing a computer program that determines if the bridge can handle its required weight.
When a bridge is found to be deficient, DOH managers must decide whether to lower the bridge’s posted weight limits, repair the bridge or replace it. Each deficient bridge is assigned a priority for repair based on the seriousness of the bridge’s condition and the amount of traffic utilizing it.
Because of limited funding, many of the state’s 1,000 deficient bridges will not get needed repairs for years, Walker says.
“We believe that 1,000 is a high number,” he added. “We spend every dime we get, but have to live within our budget.”
Walker added that crumbling bridges have been a problem for the state for many years with the number of deficient bridges remaining relatively constant.
“We haven’t made any headway,” Walker said.
Of the 660 bridges in Fayette, Greenbrier, Monroe, Nicholas and Summers counties, 93 are structurally deficient, according to Adrian Lusk, bridge engineer with District 9 of the Division of Highways.
Of those, five are under repair or reconstruction and 15 to 20 are being studied for repair in the coming months.
The majority of the deficient bridges must wait until funding becomes available to fix them, or until engineers have determined their condition has deteriorated to the point where they become a priority, he said.
Until then, engineers can lower the posted weight limits for deficient bridges and inspect them more frequently to check if cracks, fatigue or washouts become more serious. While most bridges are inspected every two years, a few of the bridges in District 9 warrant inspection every three months.
“With 660 bridges in our district, there is only so much you can do within your budget,” Lusk said.
Lusk also has responsibility for the New River Gorge Bridge, which he said is in excellent shape.
“We inspect it every year, and any concerns identified are addressed as soon as possible,” he said. “There are a group of engineers assigned solely to U.S. 19 and they keep a close eye on it for us.”
Information for Raleigh and Wyoming counties, which are in District 10, was not available because the bridge engineer was out of the office Friday.
Engineers with the state Parkways Authority are checking to see how many of the 116 bridges on the West Virginia Turnpike are of similar design to the Minneapolis bridge that collapsed.
So far, they have determined that two bridges near Bluestone, one northbound and one southbound, match the design.
According to Parkways General Manager Greg Barr, engineers will conduct an inspection of the bridges immediately. Once more is known about what caused the Minneapolis collapse, engineers in West Virginia will do a more detailed inspection of the bridges — focusing on potential problem areas.
Although bridges on the turnpike are relatively new, and therefore have fewer structural deficiencies, Barr said the Parkways Authority must prioritize their maintenance needs and defer some repair projects until funding becomes available.
“We don’t have all the money we think we need to maintain all the bridges,” Barr said. “We did a five-year analysis of what needs to be done to maintain the turnpike, and we came up $130 million short.”
Barr said deferring needed repairs due to limited funding costs more in the long term since small structural deficiencies become more severe.
“Ideally, you could deal with things right away at the most optimum time when it is cheaper.”
While bridge collapses are a rare occurrence in the United States, the high number of deficient bridges in the state is cause for concern, according to Hota GangaRao, a civil engineering professor at West Virginia University.
“Some trucks are over the posted weight limit for these bridges, and that could cause damage,” GangaRao said.
He explained that initially the bridges survive the heavy traffic because they are well built, but that over time, the excessive stress causes the steel and concrete to deteriorate.
Lusk indicated that bridges in Fayette and Nicholas counties, which have a lot of coal and heavy truck traffic, need repair more frequently than do bridges in other counties such as Monroe.
GangaRao believes some trucks drivers ignore the posted weight limits on bridges.
“People still cheat. If everybody does it, these bridges will fall.”