Reuters AlertNet Lite - US says bridge inspections show no problems so far

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US says bridge inspections show no problems so far

05 Sep 2007 22:46:08 GMT
Source: Reuters

WASHINGTON, Sept 5 (Reuters) - U.S. states have found no signs so far that bridges like one that collapsed in Minneapolis last month have structural problems that would pose a danger to motorists, the government said on Wednesday.

Richard Capka, administrator of the Federal Highway Administration, told a House of Representatives Transportation Committee hearing that more than half of the 760 steel truss bridges nationally have been inspected since the Aug. 1 collapse of the Interstate 35W bridge that killed 13 people.

"We have not seen anything that would cause us concern, nothing systematic. In fact, we haven't had to close or limit the use of a bridge as a result of these inspections," Capka told reporters after the hearing.

The Transportation Department ordered states to conduct immediate inspections following the Minneapolis collapse into the Mississippi River because it was unsure of what caused the disaster.

A final report on the inspection effort is due at the end of November, Capka said.

The National Transportation Safety Board is looking closely at a possible design flaw that may have been exacerbated by weight. Investigators have focused on steel plates that helped connect support beams underneath the bridge deck.

Key Democrats in the House are advocating higher gasoline taxes to pay for bridge upgrades nationally. But the Bush administration has said current revenue is adequate to pay for any fixes and that raising taxes would not necessarily help improve roads and bridges.

"I do think we need to first determine if we're spending the money wisely before we ask them (the public) for more," Transportation Secretary Mary Peters said at the hearing.

But Rep. James Oberstar, a Minnesota Democrat and the Transportation Committee chairman, has said higher taxes on gasoline, diesel fuel or imported oil could generate more than $40 billion to pay for bridge repairs.

According to Transportation Department figures, more than 73,000 bridges are structurally deficient, meaning a span has major deterioration, cracks or other flaws.

Oberstar has suggested a three-year, 5 cents per gallon tax on gasoline and diesel fuel could generate approximately $25 billion. A $1 tax on each barrel of oil at the refinery stage, two thirds of which is imported, could bring in another $16 billion over the same period.

The U.S. gasoline tax has been 18.4 cents per gallon since the early 1990s. The diesel fuel tax is 24.4 cents and there is no import fee on oil.

There has been little will in Congress to raise fuel taxes.

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Last updated:Wed Sep 5 22:46:23 2007