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October 2, 2013 • Vol. XXV • No. 20 • 470 Maryland Drive • Ft. Washington, PA 19034 • 215-885-2900 • Toll Free 800-523-2200 • Fax 215-885-2910
Inside
Making Sense of the York County Residents Nation’s Bad Bridges Pinch Pennies From Gas to Save Highways
By Mike Baker and Joan Lowy ASSOCIATED PRESS Superior Cranes Replaces I-40 Bridge…8
Brewer Uses GPS Controlled Cat D6N…12
ConExpo Retro See page 40 for the first of an ongoing series of highlights from past ConExpos as they were reported in the pages of CEG.
Table of Contents ........4 Off-Road Trucks ....55-64
WASHINGTON (AP) The Associated Press analyzed the federal National Bridge Inventory to focus on the thousands of bridges that have the unfortunate designation of being both “structurally deficient’’ and “fracture critical’’ — a combination of red flags that experts say indicates significant disrepair and an increased risk of collapse. Despite the ominous sounding classifications, transportation officials say such bridges are safe and undergo rigorous inspections. Here are 10 questions and answers regarding the status of the nation’s bridges: 1. What are the numbers? The most recent federal National Bridge Inventory includes 607,380 bridges that are subject to uniform bridge inspection standards. Among those bridges, there were 65,605 classified as “structurally deficient’’ and 20,808 as “fracture critical.’’ Of those, 7,795 were both. And bridges with both red flags are open in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. While such dual designation does not automatically mean double trouble, experts who pay attention to these things say the group has increased risk. 2. What do those terms even mean? A bridge is “structurally deficient’’ when it is in need of rehabilitation or replacement because at least one major component is deemed in poor or worse condition. A bridge is deemed “fracture critical’’ when it doesn’t have redundant protections and is at risk of collapse if a single, vital component fails. Officials say that neither category is an indication of imminent collapse, but experts agree that both classifications are signs of risk. 3. What are the odds that I regularly drive over one of these bridges? There’s a decent chance you do. Many of the bridges that fit both criteria are on important arteries in small and mid-size cities, and on low-travel rural roads throughout the United States. Some of them are on busy interstate highways or on heavily trafficked big city roadways. The Brooklyn Bridge is a good example. The bridges identified in AP’s analysis as both structurally deficient and fracture critical carry more than 29 million drivers a day, according to the lat-
The total cost of the highway 121 project is $6.6 million
Peter Hildebrandt CEG CORRESPONDENT
York County in South Carolina has been a pioneer for funding highway projects with money gained from travelers using the county’s highways. The program was named Pennies for Progress, because the taxes charged are typically only a few cents on each purchase of gas, appliances or prepared foods. Pennies for Progress projects must be placed on the ballot in the county where the work is to take place. Voters get to decide if they want money to be spent on the particular highway projects see PENNIES page 80
see BRIDGES page 82
Paving Section ......65-77
Interstate 2.0 Study...
Parts Section ........78-79
Reason Foundation Eyes Funding Logic for Roads
Auction Section ..92-103 Business Calendar....100 Advertisers Index ....102
Speaking at an event at the Reason Foundation on the release of its new report, Interstate 2.0: Modernizing the Interstate Highway System via Toll Finance, Patrick D. Jones, executive director and CEO of the International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike
Association (IBTTA) applauded the report calling it “a serious effort to examine the costs of reconstructing and widening our 50 year old interstate highway system using all-electronic tolling.” The new study released Sept. 12 details how
much it will cost to reconstruct and widen interstate highways in all 50 states and shows how to pay for the modernization efforts with toll revenues. The International Bridge, Tunnel and see REPORT page 50