Seven bridges in Washington, D.C., are structurally deficient, according to transportation experts.
The Roosevelt Bridge connecting Arlington and D.C. got a close-up inspection Monday after transportation officials ordered emergency road work to the bridge over the weekend.
D.C. Department of Transportation Director Everett Lott said the bridge, which is 58 years old, was given a "poor" rating during an inspection in 2018 and a "fair" rating in 2016.
Lanes will be shut down on the bridge for as long as six months due to a rusted beam.
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But it's not the only bridge that has issues.
The American Road and Transportation Builders Association says the following seven bridges are structurally deficient:
- The Roosevelt Bridge
- South Capitol Street over Suitland Parkway
- Anacostia Freeway over Suitland Parkway
- Benning Road over Kenilworth Avenue
- H Street Bridge over the terminal yard near Union Station
- Joyce Road bridge in Rock Creek Park
- 31st Street Bridge over the C&O Canal in Georgetown
Some experts say it's time for some of the bridges to get a technology makeover.
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“From a technology standpoint, it really points to having more remote sensing that we can put on these bridges and using technology to have an understanding of what the baseline of the bridge is and how it changes over time,” said Kevin Heaslip, a civil and environmental engineering professor at Virginia Tech.
DDOT maintains that every bridge currently open to traffic is safe.
