![Funding will help pay for the replacement of the I-5 Bridge in the Western US and the Sagamore Bridge in the Eastern US, with the latter pictured – image courtesy of © Atomazul | Dreamstime.com](jpg/dreamstime_s_109946171a0d1.jpg)
Funding packages worth US$600 million and $372 million will help pay for two major bridge replacement projects in the US. The former project is to replace a bridge spanning the Colombia River on the I-5 route, connecting Washington State and Oregon State, while the latter is to replace the Sagamore Bridge in the state of Massachusetts.
The new I-5 bridge is required as the existing structure no longer meets modern safety requirements, cannot cope with the 130,000 vehicles/day using it and is at risk of potential collapse in the event of an earthquake.
Both the I-5 Bridge and Sagamore Bridge have been identified by the Federal Highway Administration as being in high priority categories for replacement. These ageing structures are not suited to the traffic loads they have to carry, with the latter classed as ‘Functionally Obsolete’ for example. The US does have a serious problem with road bridges and plans are in hand to address many of the key links in most serious need of replacement.