On December 15, 1967, bridge safety was thrust into the national spotlight.  It was on this day that the Silver Bridge, an eyebar-link suspension bridge carrying Route 35 between Point Pleasant, West Virginia and Gallipolis, Ohio spanning the Ohio River, collapsed sending 47 people to their death.  Measured by loss of life, this was the most horrific bridge failure in the United States.  Congressional hearings concluded a few states and counties inspected some of their bridges, but there were no national standards to accomplish this task.

In 1968, Congress enacted the Federal Highway Act: US Code Title 23 Section 151 and as a result the National Bridge Inspection Standards (NBIS) were established.  In 1971, the NBIS were mandated by Federal Law and were intended to ensure the proper inspection of the nation’s bridges greater than 20 feet in length on all public roads.

Have you looked at your most recent bridge inspection report for your bridges lately?

There is a lot of valuable information contained within the Bridge Inspection report.  We can help you decipher your report and create a plan of action for your bridge maintenance program.  Since 1989, Larson Design Group has provided bridge safety inspection services to communities just like yours.

Did you know?

Other than being a Federal Law, there are many benefits to a municipality for completion of safety inspections on your bridges.

• Ensures public safety by identifying any structural or safety issues.
• Each structure is inventoried in PennDOT’s BMS2 (Bridge Management System).
• Identifies any signing or critical structural deficiencies requiring immediate repair.

A Bridge Inspection also provides:

• Maintenance recommendations to maintain and preserve the integrity of each structure.
• A detailed history of the structure over its life cycle.
• Previous conditions documentation for FEMA disaster relief in the event of a natural disaster (flood damage).