FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Indiana Road and Bridge Infrastructure ‘Building’ Momentum
New construction, preservation and maintenance at record levels with Major Moves
STATEHOUSE – Hundreds of roads and bridges across the state are safer thanks to the positive fiscal impact of Gov. Mitch Daniels’ landmark Major Moves highway construction program, State Sen. Tom Wyss told the Interim Committee on Transportation Matters today. Wyss, R-Fort Wayne, said the plan is strengthening Indiana’s transportation infrastructure daily – including bridges.
“Many states haven’t been looking down the road at their infrastructure needs,” said Wyss, who chairs the Senate study committee. “Governor Daniels provided the vision, and now the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) has a roadmap for highway construction through 2015, and beyond. That includes building and fixing hundreds of bridges across the state.”
Wyss made his comments as shock waves continue to ripple from the recent Minneapolis bridge collapse. Between 2006 and 2015, INDOT will invest nearly $12 billion on hundreds of road construction, preservation, resurfacing and maintenance projects – in large part thanks to the proceeds from the lease of the Indiana Toll Road. Interest alone on the $3.8 billion deal is earning approximately $500,000 per day, and has generated more than $200 million that will eventually be directed toward transportation projects.
“In fiscal year 2008 (July 2007-June 2008) Major Moves is projected to invest $940 million in Indiana infrastructure. That investment will grow to over one billion dollars annually over the next seven years,” said Wyss. “Bridges, new and rehabilitated, are a large part of that investment.”
According to INDOT, there are hundreds of bridges across the state now being built, rehabilitated or replaced thanks to the impact of Major Moves. The “Super 70” project, which is rebuilding six miles of Interstate 70 through Indianapolis, will replace or rebuild 30 bridges as part of the reconstruction. Most of Major Moves’ 400 construction and preservation projects contain new or improved bridges and overpasses.
Andy Dietrick, INDOT spokesman, shared these facts about bridges in Indiana:
- Of the 5,701 bridges on state roads, U.S. routes and interstate highways, the average sufficiency rate is 90-percent. The Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) considers 80-percent a “good” rating.
- Bridges in Indiana are inspected at least once every two years.
- Four percent of the bridges in INDOT’s inventory are classified as “structurally deficient.” That is significantly lower than the national average. Dietrick cautioned that the term can be misleading. “Because a bridge is rated “structurally deficient” does not mean it is unsafe or in danger of collapse,” he explained. “INDOT would never allow traffic on a bridge considered to be unsafe.”
- A bridge with a sufficiency rating below 80-percent is eligible for federal funding for bridge rehabilitation; a bridge with a sufficiency rating of below 50-percent is eligible for federal funding for replacement.
- Dietrick said Indiana has 23 full time bridge inspectors on staff, with one vacancy now in the process of being filled. Each area of the state has a bridge inspector on call, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Inspectors have the authority to close a bridge at any time if it is deemed unsafe.
- There are 18,368 bridges in Indiana overall. Local governments can use disbursements from Major Moves to fund repairs on city and county bridges.
- Each year, INDOT devotes more than $70 million in federal funding specifically to maintain bridges. Thirty percent of the funding is distributed to local governments to improve bridges on city and county roads.
“Our hearts continue to go out to those affected by the Minnesota bridge collapse,” Wyss said. “Because of Major Moves and the dedicated inspectors who take their jobs very seriously, I believe Indiana residents can rest assured that bridges in this state will continue to be safe, and repairs will be made in a timely fashion.”
Sen. Tom Wyss is from Fort Wayne and represents District 15. He is chairman of the Homeland Security, Transportation and Veteran Affairs Committee in the Indiana Senate.
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