LOS ANGELES, July 21 (UPI) — The nearly 50-year-old California bridge that collapsed Sunday earned an A rating last year from the Federal Highway Administration, indicating it should have been able to easily withstand the floodwaters that brought it down.
The Tex Wash Bridge,the main thoroughfare between Southern California and Phoenix built in 1967, was given a “sufficiency rating” of 91.5 out of 100 in the Federal Highway Administration’s review. The eastbound section of Southern California’s Interstate 10, near the Arizona state line, also had one of the highest possible flood safety ratings, meaning it should have withstood torrential rain and flooding without significant problems.
Sunday, the bridge collapsed when five inches of rain fell in the desert, just east of the Coachella Valley. Rushing floodwaters eroded the dirt and foundation, causing the bridge to crumble. One person was injured.
The Tex Wash was listed by the National Bridge Inventory as functionally obsolete in 2014 and was no longer adequate for its task. It was not listed as having structural problems.
The roadway normally has some 27,000 motorists a day. Detours that tack on an extra hour of travel are being used as work continues to shore up the structure. It is unclear how long it will be closed. Expert say the ramifications will be far reaching, from price spikes at grocery stores that depend on foodstuff from the Southern California area to increase in gas prices.
In April, American Road & Transportation Builders Association found some 61,000 bridge nationwide remain structurally deficient and in need of major repairs.
There’s currently a nationwide backlog of $115 billion in bridge work and $755 billion in highway projects, according to Department of Transportation data. In addition, funding for highway and pavement spending has dropped by about 20 percent in the last five years.
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