Federal, state officials highlight concerns over bridge conditions in the Pacific Northwest

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Federal, state and local officials are voicing concerns over bridge infrastructure in the Pacific Northwest in new reports.

The National Transportation Safety Board released a report on Thursday naming 68 bridges that cross over waterways across the U.S. that they recommend be evaluated for risk of collapse from a vessel collision. The report names three local bridges, including two in Oregon: the St. Johns Bridge and the Astoria-Megler Bridge. The Lewis and Clark Bridge in Washington was also named in the report.

The report comes one year after the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore after it was struck by a container ship. The NTSB said that the structure was almost 30 times over the acceptable risk level for critical or essential bridges. A final report on the Baltimore bridge collapse is expected to be released this fall.

The NTSB said the 68 bridges mentioned in the report were all found to not have a current vulnerability assessment. In addition, the report does not suggest the bridges may collapse but asks for plans to be made to avoid such a scenario.

“A risk level above the acceptable threshold doesn’t mean a collapse from a vessel collision is an absolute certainty,” said NTSB Chairman Jennifer Homendy. “What we are telling bridge owners is that they need to know the risk and determine what actions they need to take to ensure safety.”

Earlier this week, a completely different report about the condition of bridges was released by the Oregon Department of Transportation. ODOT’s 2024 Bridge Conditions Report examines highway bridges that were built in Oregon during the Interstate Era between 1958 and 1973.

ODOT built an average of 63 bridges per year during this 16-year span thanks to federal funding but they are all now between 50 and 65 years old.

“We face a growing backlog of bridge preservation needs caused by the structural revenue issue facing transportation agencies across the nation,” said ODOT Director Kris Strickler in a statement.

ODOT’s report said that a good portion of the state-owned bridges are still in fair condition — even more so compared to other western states — from routine maintenance. However, there are many bridges that are reaching the end of their lifespan.

Of the more than 2,700 state highway bridges in Oregon, 60% were built before 1973, ODOT said. Therefore, it is becoming impractical to continue to maintain bridges that are reaching the end of their lifespan of 75-100 years.

“In the foreseeable future, there will be more than 1,000 Interstate Era bridges that must be replaced. However, current funding levels pay for on average only three bridge replacements each year. At this rate, an Oregon bridge will need to stay in service for over 900 years, well beyond the expected service life,” ODOT’s report said.

On a more local level, Multnomah County announced Friday that it would be delaying the construction phase of its years-long Earthquake Ready Burnside Project until 2028, one year later than originally scheduled. The project aims to replace the Burnside Bridge in Portland with a design that can better withstand earthquakes. Officials said the decision comes during a period of uncertainty on the federal level for fully funding the project.