U.S. Rep. Tom Emmer (R-MN) on July 30 unveiled legislation that would direct the U.S. Transportation Secretary to establish a national bridge replacement and improvement program.
“Roads and bridges are the essential components of our infrastructure,” Rep. Emmer said. “I am proud to introduce legislation that will prioritize bridge safety and rural infrastructure projects.”
The congressman sponsored the National Bridge Replacement and Improvement Act, H.R. 7869, to establish the National Bridge Replacement and Improvement Program through the U.S. Department of Transportation for qualifying entities, including state transportation departments, counties, cities, and localities.
Qualifying projects under H.R. 7869 would be those that would restore or increase the structural capacity of a bridge, make major safety improvements, or replace an existing bridge, according to a bill summary provided by Rep. Emmer’s office.
In his home state of Minnesota, for example, an estimated 1.5 million crossings are made over structurally deficient bridges, 80 percent of which are located in rural areas.
“In 2007, a bridge collapsed in my home state, in the heart of the Twin Cities. We lost 13 Minnesotans and another 145 were injured,” said Rep. Emmer. “This tragedy happened in a thriving metropolitan area. We rebuilt and recovered, but we still must ensure this never happens again.”
Nationally, according to the American Road and Transportation Builders Association, more than one-third of America’s bridges are structurally deficient, and the Federal Highway Administration has classified over half of the nation’s bridges as being in less than good condition.
“Cities across our nation have dangerous bridge crossings, and our rural areas face even more pronounced infrastructure challenges,” Rep. Emmer said. “Over a decade after the collapse of the I35W bridge, our nation still has far too many bridges with structural deficiencies, and not enough is being done to address these serious safety concerns.”