Infrastructure News Summary
For July 28, 2008

Bridge safety bill handily clears House
Fort Wayne Journal Gazette
Frederic Frommer
7/25/08

WASHINGTON - The House overwhelmingly passed legislation Thursday aimed at improving the safety of the nation's bridges, nearly a year after the deadly collapse of an interstate highway bridge in Minneapolis. The vote was 367-55. The legislation would authorize an additional $1 billion next year to rebuild structurally deficient bridges on the national highway system, and require states to come up with plans to fix such bridges. The Minneapolis bridge on Interstate 35W was one of approximately 70,000 structurally deficient bridges across the country. The White House has said it opposes the bill unless the $1 billion provision is deleted. The administration said its own request of $39.4 billion in federal aid to states for highways, roads and bridges next year "is both responsive to current needs and consistent with budgetary realities." http://www.journalgazette.net/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080725/NEWS03/807250309

InDOT: Indiana 23 lanes to be shifted
South Bend Tribune
7/26/08

The Indiana Department of Transportation said traffic on Indiana 23 between Fir and Brick roads will be shifted to recently constructed northbound lanes so road reconstruction can begin on the southbound lanes Monday. Also, Brick Road north of Indiana 23 will be temporarily closed starting Monday so the Brick Road intersection can be reconstructed. This work is in relation to the Major Moves added travel lanes project between Main Street/Gumwood Road in Mishawaka and Brick Road in Granger. The entire project is scheduled for completion in November. http://www.southbendtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080726/News01/691947206\

INDOT to share info about Ind. 32 project
The Star Press
7/28/08

YORKTOWN - The Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) will have an informational open house 6-8:30 p.m. Aug. 5 to familiarize the Yorktown community with the Ind. 32 Major Moves project scheduled to begin next year. Design plans will be on display in the auditorium at Yorktown High School, 1100 S. Tiger Drive, with a 7 p.m. presentation providing an overview of the project. The plan calls for 1.74 miles of Ind. 32 at Yorktown to be rebuilt over two construction seasons. The contract for construction based on these plans should be let next February. http://www.thestarpress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080728/NEWS01/807280334

Report: Repairing U.S. bridges would cost $140 billion
CNN
7/28/08

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- It would cost at least $140 billion to repair all the nation's bridges if work began immediately, a nationwide safety organization said in a comprehensive report Monday. The price tag will rise if the repairs are delayed, the group said. "States simply cannot keep up with bridge maintenance," the report warns, adding that 73 percent of U.S. road traffic -- and 90 percent of truck traffic -- travels over state-owned bridges. Nearly one in four bridges needs repairs, and the average age of America's bridges is 43 years -- seven years shy of the maximum age for which most are designed, according to the report, titled "Bridging the Gap." One in five U.S. bridges is more than 50 years old, the report says. "Almost one in four bridges, while safe to travel, is either structurally deficient, in need of repair, or ... too narrow for today's traffic volumes," the report from the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials said. http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/07/28/bridge.report/index.html