More than one-fifth (22 percent) of all bridges in Ionia County – 27 of 121 – are either structurally deficient or functionally obsolete, according to a statewide analysis released by the Michigan Infrastructure Transportation Association (MITA).

The study found that more than 28 percent of Michigan’s 10,831 bridges – 3,052 – are showing troubling signs of age and neglect. The report follows an earlier and equally worrisome analysis that showed 26 percent of state and local roads – or 28,700 of the 110,000 miles of roadways – have deteriorated to the point where they are classified in “poor” condition. The number of miles in poor shape is roughly equivalent to the distance of seven roundtrips between Detroit and Los Angeles.

“In Ionia County and across Michigan we have sadly reached the point where our bridge and road system is no longer sustainable,” said Mike Nystrom, executive vice-president of MITA. “When the percentage of roads and bridges in tough shape climbs to a level this high, policymakers often have little choice but to repair and replace the failing ones rather than maintain the others before they fail as well.”

The comprehensive bridge survey – which for the first time includes information on the condition of county and locally controlled bridges – also revealed:
Local governmental units are responsible for 84 bridges in Ionia County and 23 of them (27 percent) are either functionally obsolete – meaning their design is outdated – or structurally deficient, which indicates a bridge has deteriorating beams, a crumbling deck or other problems that could force its closure.

Because of declining gas consumption due in part to more fuel-efficient vehicles, gas tax revenues have plummeted by more than $100 million from the amount collected in 1997 – the last time the state’s gasoline levy was increased. Gas tax revenues have fallen each year since 2002. At the same time, vehicle registration fees which also help pay for roads and bridges have been significantly reduced as many motorists have chosen to forgo new car purchases.

To underscore the seriousness of the situation, consider that in September – following months of contentious debate – Michigan lawmakers finally came up with a way to scrape together $84 million in state money to secure $475 million in federal matching funds to benefit roads and bridges. Some lawmakers are calling upon Congress to end state matching fund requirements altogether, so the state could choose to invest even less in an already-failing road and bridge system.

“Disinvesting in our network of roads and bridges at a time when Michigan is desperately trying to climb out of a deep economic hole is short-sighted public policy,” Nystrom said. “While it’s easy to point fingers and blame road agencies for the poor bridges, the reality is that they’ve been under funded for decades.”

The crumbling of Michigan’s network of roads and bridges should serve as a call for quick and decisive action by the Michigan Legislature.

“Let’s be clear about where we stand: We either find a way to increase funding so we can fix our crumbling infrastructure, or we wait until something tragic happens and scramble to pick up the pieces,” said Nystrom. “We can no longer afford to ignore this worsening situation – the time for action is now.”

The 2010 bridge data was collected from information in the local bridge report and from the MDOT bridge report. Both are available online at www.drivemi.org. The information represents a snapshot in time taken earlier this year and could contain a lag time of a few months between the time a bridge was upgraded or downgraded and when that information was included in official reports.

MITA represents a broad spectrum of highway construction companies and suppliers that help build a better Michigan infrastructure from the bottom up. It has been a leading voice for securing adequate transportation funding at the federal and state levels.