The Bridge: "Structurally Deficient"
(AP/Pioneer Press, LaRose-Chiglo)
On federal statistics pages, it's known as Bridge 9340. Early in its 40 year history, it was called "St. Anthony Bridge" for the falls just down the Mississippi River. Most recently, it was just the I-35W bridge.
Last night it collapsed during rush hour in the Twin Cities. At least four people are dead, and as many as 30 are missing as a rescue mission becomes a recovery operation.
In 2005, Bridge 9340 was rated "structurally deficient" by the Department of Transportation and given a score of 50%, the number at which states are to consider replacing a bridge.
Replacement had been scheduled for the year 2020. That was 13 years too late for the people who lost their lives in the Twin Cities last night.
There are 75,621 bridges in the United States that have been slapped with the same label of "structurally deficient." In fact, the I-35W bridge was just one of 1,140 such structures in Minnesota alone.
How many are in your state?
This link will take you to the official report from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics.
