U.S. Sens. Angus King (I-ME) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) recently reintroduced the Strengthen and Fortify Existing Bridges (SAFE Bridges) Act, which would establish a program to provide funding to repair and replace the more than 56,000 bridges considered structurally deficient across the country, starting in Maine.
“In Maine, bridges are a critical part of our infrastructure network. Not only do they connect communities, but they support commerce and foster economic growth,” King said. “But today, too many bridges in Maine are in a dangerous state of disrepair, posing serious safety risks to the public and threatening jobs. This legislation would help fix that problem by providing more than $15 million per year to the state to upgrade failing bridges and it would put Maine people to work doing it – a winning combination.”
The American Society of Civil Engineers reported in 2016 that 58 percent of Michigan’s highway bridges are more than 50 years old. The Maine Department of Transportation estimated that it would require $33 million more in annual funding to achieve long-term sustained improvements. The new legislation would provide more than $15 million annually to achieve that goal.
The SAFE Bridges Act would authorize an additional $2.75 billion each year through fiscal year 2020, enabling states to repair and replace their structurally deficient bridges. The bill still needs to develop a needs-based system to identify and provide each state with appropriate funding levels.
The bill was co-sponsored by Sens. Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), and Bob Casey (D-PA).