Seattle doesn't spend enough on bridge maintenance; contributed to worsening conditions: audit
Seattle isn't spending enough to maintain its bridges, which has contributed to declining condition of the city's bridges over the past 10 years, a new audit report found.
The audit — which analyzed 77 vehicle bridges maintained by the Seattle Department of Transportation — found the city spent about $6.6 million each year over the past 14 years on bridge maintenance. But that's just a fraction of what it should be spending, according to the report.
"The City of Seattle (City) recognizes the need for more investment in bridge maintenance, but is not spending enough on the upkeep and preservation of its bridges, and risks becoming out of compliance with federal regulations," the report said. "National data show that most Seattle vehicle bridges are in fair condition (using the federal rating system of good, fair, and poor), and the condition of the City’s bridges has worsened over the last ten years."
According to the audit, in 2019, 29% of the bridges analyzed were in good condition, 65% were in fair condition and 6% were in poor condition.
"Nevertheless, even bridges in fair condition, like the West Seattle High Bridge, can require major, unexpected closures," the report said. Over the last decade, a larger percentage of Seattle’s bridges have gotten worse compared to those that have gotten better."
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/seattle-doesn-t-spend-enough-on-bridge-maintenance-contributed-to-worsening-conditions-audit/ar-BB19hbi6?ocid=hplocalnews
