In Oklahoma: We are worst in the nation

Oklahoma continues to lead the nation in the number of structurally deficient bridges, but none on the state highway system are unsafe or in danger of imminent collapse, including Oklahoma City's aging Crosstown Expressway bridge, state highway officials said Thursday.

Nearly 6,300 bridges are structurally deficient in Oklahoma, which means the bridges aren't meant to carry today's loads, federal data show. Of those, 989 bridges are on Oklahoma's state highway system. Such bridges are under greater scrutiny after Wednesday's bridge collapse in Minneapolis.

"We feel the bridges in Oklahoma are safe to travel on,” John Fuller, chief engineer for the Oklahoma Transportation Department, said Thursday. "If they ever get to the condition where we know they are not safe to travel on, then we have and we would close them.

"We devote a lot of effort in the state of Oklahoma to stay apprised of the condition of our bridges,” he said.

Oklahoma has led the nation in the number of structurally deficient bridges since at least 2000, Federal Highway Administration figures show. Pennsylvania is No. 2 with 5,582.

The total includes bridges maintained by a number of different agencies within state limits, such as state government, counties and municipalities.

Nearly 27 percent of Oklahoma's 23,460 bridges are structurally deficient. Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Iowa and South Dakota are the only other states with 20 percent or more of their bridges considered structurally deficient.

Oklahoma transportation officials called a news conference Thursday to discuss the condition of Oklahoma's bridges because of intense public scrutiny after Wednesday's deadly bridge collapse.

That bridge also was considered structurally deficient.

More than 50 news reporters jammed the lobby of the state Transportation Department building for the news briefing, and dozens of department employees leaned over the balcony above to hear what wa