The News4 I-Team filed a Freedom of Information Act Request with the District of Columbia Department of Transportation and a Public Information Act Request with the Maryland State Highway Administration requesting inspection reports for all highway signs and structures in the District, Montgomery County and Prince George’s County. Over the course of several weeks, DDOT provided conflicting information about how and when its structures were last inspected. Ultimately, DDOT was able to produce paper inspection reports for about 13 percent of its 190 structures. MSHA initially provided an electronic database of more than 350 structures. After analyzing that database, the News4 I-Team inspected about 40 of the worst-rated and most out-of-date inspection reports in paper format at the agency’s headquarters.
