photo by: Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector

U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said Friday during a visit to Kansas City, Kansas, that the tragic collapse of a Pittsburgh bridge illustrated the necessity of federal infrastructure spending to make travel safer.

KANSAS CITY, Kan. — On a visit to Kansas City on Friday, U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg pointed to the collapse of a bridge in Pittsburgh earlier that day and said it illustrated the necessity of federal investment in the nation’s infrastructure — including more than 1,000 bridges in poor condition in Kansas and 2,000 in Missouri.

Buttigieg stood at the rusting Rock Island railroad bridge and the heavily used Cesar Chavez Bridge carrying vehicles over the Kansas River and outlined the benefits of bipartisan legislation signed by President Joe Biden that is expected to funnel billions of dollars into infrastructure projects in both states.

He also spoke about the collapse in Pennsylvania, in which a 50-year-old bridge gave way and dropped a bus into a ravine. Authorities said there were no fatalities in the collapse, according to the Associated Press. Buttigieg expressed appreciation for first responders and said his agency was committed to investigating the collapse.

“Bottom line is, this shouldn’t happen in the United States of America,” he said. “It is a very blunt reminder, among many reminders, of just how urgent the need is to invest in American infrastructure.”

Buttigieg said safety problems with bridges and roads across the nation were a result of a lack of investment in infrastructure. The U.S. Department of Transportation has been working to distribute funding to address safety and modernization priorities, he said.

“Right here in Kansas there are more than 1,000 bridges in poor condition,” he said. “Over 2,000 across the state line in Missouri. We need to get to work right away. Instead of wringing or hands about it, we’re actually doing it.”

He said resources would be for work on large, well-known bridges as well as smaller rural bridges that had fallen into disrepair.

“We have to help communities to get the resources to make those improvements,” he said.

Based on the formula for funding, Kansas would expect to receive $2.8 billion and Missouri approximately $7 billion over five years in federal highway and bridge funding. Both states also could compete for billions of additional infrastructure aid for roads, bridges, ports, broadband, emissions control and public safety projects.

Buttigieg spoke to reporters and local government officials at a news conference with U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids; Kansas City, Kansas, Mayor Tyrone Garner; and Kansas Transportation Secretary Julie Lorenz.

Davids, a Democrat representing the 3rd District and the only member of the Kansas congressional delegation to vote for the infrastructure bill, said the federal law would earmark about $225 million over five years to repair and modernize bridges in Kansas. In Davids’ district, which encompasses Wyandotte and Johnson counties, more than 700 bridges are in need of work.

“Six of the top 10 most traveled structurally deficient bridges in Kansas are in the 3rd District. With this new funding from the bipartisan infrastructure law, we can begin to clear the backlog of repairs and ensure that all our bridges are safe and sound for years to come,” Davids said.

— Tim Carpenter reports for Kansas Reflector.