Study: 57% of R.I. bridges either functionally obsolete or structurally deficient

BRISTOL – Only one of every 17 cents coming from state car registration fees and gas taxes actually goes toward maintenance of Rhode Island’s bridges, a Roger Williams University scholar has found.
The finding is part of a new study by RWU Assistant Professor of Engineering Nicole Martino, released Monday, examining best practice strategies for maintaining bridge infrastructure by looking at how five states do it who are ranked tops by the Federal Highway Administration: Montana, Arizona, Wisconsin, Illinois and Utah.
The study is one of 12 being released by the College & University Research Collaborative covering issues relating to workforce, manufacturing, regional competitiveness and infrastructure.
According to Martino, the other 16 cents from fees and taxes goes into the state’s General Fund – a distinct contrast with the states surveyed by phone for the study. Most of their fees and taxes go toward preventative maintenance, she said.
In shaping the premise of her research, she notes that infrastructure damage like potholes are not just a matter of inconvenience, but a safety hazard that increases vehicular maintenance costs and could hamper economic growth.
According to the study, 56.5 percent of Rhode Island’s 765 bridges are either functionally obsolete or structurally deficient. Of the latter, more than one in five need significant maintenance, rehabilitation or replacement. A similar study released April 1 and completed by American Road & Transportation Builders Association published similar findings, but put the number of bridges at 766.
“My survey of states with high-quality bridge infrastructure found that they often incorporated more advanced techniques into their bridge inspection practices, and are developing plans to bring these techniques into their regular biannual inspections,” Martino wrote.
Other best practices include using more advanced inspection techniques, finding internal damage before it causes major trouble and developing, as four of the five states have, customized databases with which to prioritize repairs.
The Collaborative is hosting a “Public Policy Speaker Series: Research Into Action” on April 14 at 8:30 a.m. at the Rhode Island Foundation to share more studies and findings.
For the full report, visit www.collaborativeri.org.

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