Rep. Jim Langevin (D-RI) recently introduced a bill that would authorize an additional $2.75 billion annually for the repair or replacement of the nation’s more than 56,000 structurally deficient bridges.
The bill, the Strengthen and Fortify Existing (SAFE) Bridges Act, is companion legislation introduced in the Senate by Sens. Bob Casey (D-PA), Maggie Hassan
(D-NH), Angus King (I-ME), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI).
“It is unacceptable that Rhode Island’s highway bridges are rated the worst in the nation,” Langevin said. “While the state has begun repair work, the federal government must do more to help. Using a needs-based formula, the SAFE Bridges Act will bring federal dollars where they’re needed most to repair structurally deficient bridges. This bill is an important contribution to what should be a bipartisan effort to rebuild our nation’s aging infrastructure.”
It would cost approximately $123 billion to fix the nation’s bridges, 10 percent of which are structurally deficient.
Federal highway funds are set aside for bridge repair through various programs, but are absorbed into general surface transportation funding.
Under the SAFE Bridges Act, funds would be specifically dedicated to repairing deficient bridges. It would be allocated to states based on the percentage of structurally deficient bridges.