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Report: Brooklyn Bridge Among Thousands Of Structurally Deficient Spans Across US

WASHINGTON (CBSNewYork/AP) -- A new report says the Brooklyn Bridge and Washington's Arlington Memorial Bridge are among thousands of spans across the U.S. considered structurally deficient.

Although the numbers of deficient bridges have declined in recent years, the American Road & Transportation Builders Association's analysis of transportation department data shows more than 55,000 bridges in the U.S. have been deemed deficient.

"When a bridge is structurally deficient, one of the key elements -- it's either the actual deck, the super structure or the substructure, which is the portion below the bridge -- one of those on a scale of zero to nine with nine being excellent is rated at four or below, which means that it's in poor or worse condition," ARTBA Chief Economist Dr. Alison Premo Black told 1010 WINS.

ARTBA says deficient bridges are crossed about 185 million times a day. The top 14 most-traveled deficient bridges are located in California.

Bridges labeled structurally deficient aren't necessarily in immediate danger of collapse. The term is applied when spans need rehabilitation or replacement because at least one major component has advanced deterioration or other problems.

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(TM and © Copyright 2017 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2017 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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