Bridge status
The status of every bridge in Kansas can be looked up at www.ksdot.org/KsBridges.asp
Topeka — Nearly one-fifth of bridges in Kansas are deficient and would require $3.35 billion to repair, according to a report released Monday by the state highway department.
In addition, a task force appointed after a deadly 2007 Minnesota bridge collapse found numerous problems in the inspections of Kansas' more than 25,000 bridges.
"An examination of data records revealed a large number of overdue local inspections," said Jerry Younger, deputy secretary for engineering for the Kansas Department of Transportation.
"Just as concerning were the number of errors and missing data on the local inspection reports," said Younger, who served as chairman of the task force.
But Younger insisted that Kansas bridges are safe and despite the inspection report inaccuracies, he said, the task force review found no immediate problems that warranted shutting down any bridges.
Younger said both KDOT and local governments should share the blame in the lapse of quality in the inspection process.
He said KDOT was putting together a list of qualified bridge consultants and a scope of services that inspections must cover. In addition, KDOT was increasing its staff from two people to five people to work with local governments, and will do follow-up, on-site inspections of 10 percent of local bridge inspection reports.
Of the more than 160 local bridges listed in Douglas County, about 20 were found to be structurally deficient or functionally obsolete.
Structurally deficient means the bridges have limits for weights and speed.
"That doesn't mean they're unsafe," said Don Whisler, bridge management engineer with KDOT.
For example, he said, a structurally deficient bridge could be safe for a school bus but not for an 18-wheeler.
A functionally obsolete structure has older design features and is often too narrow for certain kinds of vehicles.
KDOT officials said both Douglas County and Lawrence bridges were OK as far as their inspections went.
"Douglas County is in very good shape. Lawrence is getting caught up right now," said Randall Leonard, bridge team leader for KDOT.
According to the task force, of Kansas' 25,464 bridges, 4,749 are structurally deficient or functionally obsolete.
Most of the deficient bridges are under the jurisdiction of local governments.
As far as inspection reports, the task force found many were overdue and had basic errors, such as the wrong location and description of the bridge.
"Kansans should expect the bridges they drive on to be inspected at the frequency and accuracy level specified in federal law," Younger said.
But KDOT officials later said the inaccurate reports may sound worse than they are. Many inspectors failed to put in the longitude and latitude of the bridge, and some put in the wrong type of bridge because the bridge may have been rebuilt recently, but they entered old data.
Douglas County bridges found to be deficient or obsolete
¢ 2.4 miles west of Stull over north branch of Deer Creek; functionally obsolete.
¢ 2.4 miles west of Stull over south branch of Deer Creek; functionally obsolete.
¢ 16 miles west and 1.5 miles north of Baldwin City over tributary of Rock Creek; functionally obsolete.
¢ 1 mile north and half-mile west of Stull over branch of Deer Creek; structurally deficient.
¢ 2 miles south and 3 miles west of Lawrence over Washington Creek; functionally obsolete.
¢ 3 miles west and 4.5 miles south of Clinton over Rock Creek; functionally obsolete.
¢ 1 mile northeast of Lone Star over tributary of Washington Creek; functionally obsolete.
¢ 1.1 mile east and two-tenths of a mile north of Lone Star over Washington Creek; structurally deficient.
¢ 2.5 miles east and 1.7 miles north of Lone Star over tributary of Washington Creek; functionally obsolete.
¢ South outskirts of Lawrence over Yankee Tank Creek; functionally obsolete.
¢ 2 miles east and 1 mile south of Stull over tributary of Deer Creek; structurally deficient.
¢ 3.6 miles east of Big Springs over tributary of Coon Creek, functionally obsolete.
¢ 2 miles east and two-tenths of a mile south of Clearfield over tributary of Captain Creek, functionally obsolete.
¢ 2 miles south and 7 miles west of Lone Star over Rock Creek; structurally deficient.
¢ 1 mile south and 2 miles west of Eudora over Wakarusa River; structurally deficient.
¢ Northern side of Eudora over Wakarusa River; functionally obsolete.
¢ 1.3 miles west and 2 miles south of Lone Star; functionally obsolete.
¢ 1 mile south and 9 miles west of Baldwin City over Eight Mile Creek; functionally obsolete.
¢ Southern edge of Lawrence over drainage ditch; functionally obsolete.
¢ 7 miles west and 3 miles north of Baldwin City over Chicken Creek; functionally obsolete.
¢ 2 miles east and 3 miles south of Eudora over Captain Creek; structurally deficient.
- Kansas Department of Transportation
Comments
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not_dolph (anonymous) says…
If I were a state agency wanting billions of dollars, knowing that this coming year will be a very lean year...I would issue the same report. Congratulations for getting it out this early KDOT! Let the games begin.
Professor_Marvel (anonymous) says…
not_dolph.....You give too much credit. Bridge sufficiency info is distributed to the press and others on a regular basis... But since Minnesota, newspapers seem a bit more interested in publishing than throwing in the trash can.
not_dolph (anonymous) says…
Well, Professor Marvel, perhaps this weekend would have been a good one to throw the paper away...looks like readership would have increased.See story on dumpster diving...http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2008/jul/28/dumpster_divers_strike_gold_alleys/How is it behind that curtain...
classclown (Class Clown) says…
Not to worry Lawrence citizens. The bridge spanning Iowa St. next to the movie theater is in good shape.
igby (anonymous) says…
Roads and bridges or social programs!We can't afford both!
Dwight_Schrute (anonymous) says…
Well, without roads and bridges, folks wouldn't have a way to get to the SRS (or other contractor) office to apply for the social programs.
not_dolph (anonymous) says…
Great point Sven...thanks for chiming in!
Solomon (anonymous) says…
This is the elephant in the room for the entire U.S. The tremendous road and bridge building boom in the late 1940s and 1950s did much to facilitate the economic growth the country has experienced since the end of WWII. Unfortunately, roads and bridges (especially) don't last forever. Many, if not most, bridges have a life expectancy of about 50 years. That means that thousands of bridges around the country are at their life's end. That, in turn, means that there is coming due billions of dollars worth of infrastructure improvement. It's a fact that can't be ignored forever.