Like many other structures, the primary problem is proper maintenance. Public safety demands eliminating hazardous structures. However it must be admitted that the major problem facing us now and in the future is the economic one. Money for repairs and maintenance are often harder to obtain than money for new structures. The Bridge Responsibility Act of the State Legislature provided inspection but no money.
Bridges are never half safe.
The local governmental agencies are much too deeply infested by politics to be effective. The need to put all bride replacement under the state s Department of Transportation is evident. The need to establish priorities and provide adequate funding cannot be done on a local level. While the State Legislature is not notable for producing long-range solutions, it is the only means we have to insure that a program funded by earmarked monies will not be diverted or made to complete with other programs. We know of no other reliable alternative.