Jul 29, 2008 6:17 pm US/Central
Drivers Beware: Many Local Bridges Need Repairs
Gov. Blagojevich Asks Lawmakers To Come Up With Money For Repairs
CHICAGO (CBS) ―
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Governor Rod Blagojevich is asking state lawmakers for money to inspect state bridges, many of which are in need of repairs.
CBS
Drivers be warned. The bridges you commute on everyday may be in dire need of repair. Transportation experts have released the results of a new report which shows one in every four bridges nationwide is in bad shape.
CBS 2's Susan Carlson reports Illinois faired better than most states. We rank sixth on the list of dangerous bridges. Still, thousands of the bridges here in illinois are in need of costly, structural upgrades in order to stay safe. Now, Governor Rod Blagojevich is leading the charge to get funding.
Thousands of people who drive on the Stevenson Bridge over Lake Shore Drive may be surprised to hear it's in worse shape than the bridge that collapsed in Minneapolis, exactly one year ago this week.
"That is sobering and that in my judgment requires a call to action," according to Gov. Blagojevich.
According to the Illinois Department of Transportation, the Congress Bridge to the Eisenhower Expressway is also in poor condition. In fact, of the 26 thousand bridges in Illinois, almost 4,300 need repairs. That's 17 percent of all the bridges in the state.
It's just a fact of life that we have corrosion because Illinois has snow and ice. Also, Illinois has many, many heavy trucks," says Ralph Anderson, IDOT's Chief Bridge Engineer.
On top of that, construction costs are going up.
"Double digit inflation of our constructions costs, gasoline, oil-based asphalt, cement and steel are eating away at our declining transportation dollars," according to Tod Faerber, President of the Illinois Road Builders Association.
Gov. Blagojevich is calling on state lawmakers to pass a capital bill that would pay for repairs on all bridges that are considered structurally deficient, or in need of an upgrade.
"It's about making sure what happened in Minnesota doesn't happen here in Illinois," Blagojevich said.
But considering previous budget battles in Springfield, getting state lawmakers to come together may be the hardest bridge to gap.
"All we got to do is get the house Democratic leadership to put aside whatever differences they have on some personalities and come to the table and let's get something done that everyone claims they're for," the Governor said.
The governor says he called a meeting for state leaders this Thursday to address the capital bill. Most key leaders have already signed on, but the Governor says he has yet to hear back from House Speaker Mike Madigan. The report reveals in order to fix all the aging bridges natiownide, it would cost $140 billion.
To read the entire report about bridge safety,
click here.
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