Using the raw dataset of the National Bridge Inventory, which is compiled by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration from state reports, MSNBC.com is reporting that more than 160 bridges in Shelby County are either obsolete or deficient.
A structurally deficient bridge is closed or restricted to light vehicles because of its deteriorated structural components. While not necessarily unsafe, these bridges must have limits for speed and weight.
A functionally obsolete bridge has older design features and, while it is not unsafe for all vehicles, it cannot safely accommodate current traffic volumes, and vehicle sizes and weights.
All bridges listed carry at least 10,000 vehicles a day. To read the complete report and to get a list of all Tennessee bridges broken out by county, read the MSNBC.com story.
