Brown introduces bridge legislation
Brad Dicken | The Chronicle-Telegram
Bridge corrosion is a problem that U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown believes two new pieces of legislation he introduced Wednesday will help fix.
Brown, D-Avon, said the corrosion is weakening bridges and leaving them unsafe for motorists who drive over them daily.
Brown’s announcement comes about a year after the Interstate 35 bridge crossing the Mississippi River collapsed in Minneapolis, killing 13 people.
Brown said the bills “will lessen and in some cases prevent future corrosion.”
The first piece of legislation would require anti-corrosion measures be taken on every bridge project that receives federal money. The other would offer tax credits for using or improving on corrosion control.
The cost for most of the technology, usually special paints and other coatings, is relatively small compared to the massive cost of ignoring the problem, Brown said.
Others, such as a technique for using a slight electrical current on bridges to keep corrosion at bay, are more expensive.
“Every one of these corrosion measures is prudent spending,” Brown said.
In 2007, the Federal Highway Administration estimated the cost of corrosion to bridges at $13.3 billion, $500 million of which was in Ohio.
Brown said his bill is necessary because government officials and private companies aren’t likely to deal with corrosion issues that will arise years down the road.
“Too many in government look to the next election, and too many in the private sector look to the next quarter,” he said.
An Associated Press examination of problem bridges in Ohio last year showed that 44 of Lorain County’s 395 bridges were “structurally deficient,” the same category as the bridge that collapsed in Minnesota.
County Engineer Ken Carney said he believes Brown’s plan is a good one.
In Columbus, a bridge that carries an estimated 9,900 vehicles on an average weekday was closed because of safety.
The Town Street bridge over the Scioto River was closed because state highway engineers lowered the bridge’s structural integrity rating to a two, on a scale of zero to nine.
Inspectors found steel bars exposed by a crumbling foundation and cracks in the bridge surface.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
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Filed by Brad Dicken | The Chronicle-Telegram July 24th, 2008 in Local and State. Popularity: 2% |
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