Thursday, 4:30 PM
Minn. bridge collapse prompts review of Mass. bridges
By Stephanie Ebbert, Globe Staff
Massachusetts transportation officials will review inspection records for the 27 steel truss bridges in the state that are similar to the Minnesota span that collapsed last night, Governor Deval Patrick said today.
Patrick said that none are considered to be in danger of collapsing, but he asked officials to review records to ensure that they were not missing any problems, said spokesman Kyle Sullivan.
"It does make me anxious about the legacy of neglect that we are inheriting in this administration," the governor, who took office in January, told The Associated Press.
The Minnesota collapse comes at a time of debate about transportation infrastructure funding needs in Massachusetts.
In March, a Transportation Finance Commission empaneled by the governor and the Legislature reported that the state's roads and bridges have been chronically underfunded, resulting in decades of deferred maintenance. That report estimated that Massachusetts would need $15 to $19 billion more just to repair and maintain its road and rail network over 20 years.
Other New England states are also assessing the safety of their bridges in light of the tragedy in Minnesota. Maine Governor John Baldacci reassured motorists that the state's bridges are safe and inspected regularly, but he also ordered checks of bridges that are now listed as structurally deficient, the Associated Press reported.
Baldacci said that every two years, Maine conducts an inspection of all state and local bridges, while older bridges are inspected annually.
