LANSING – A report released Wednesday by Transportation for America said that more than 12 percent of Michigan’s bridges are structurally deficient.

The Fix We’re In For 2013 national report shows that Michigan’s number of deficient bridges, though improved from 2011, is still more than the national average of 11 percent, or about 67,000 bridges nationwide. Michigan is ranked as the 18th highest state. The report said 1,354 of Michigan’s 11,000 bridges were labeled as deficient.

Pennsylvania was ranked the highest, with 24.5 percent of its bridges considered deficient. Florida and Nevada both had only 2.2 percent of their bridges deficient, but Florida was 51st (the ranking included the District of Columbia) because it had improved from the last report.

The numbers are from a national database created and maintained by the Federal Highway Administration, which estimates $76 billion is needed to repair the deficient bridges across the country.

Tim Fischer, deputy policy director of the Michigan Environmental Council, said that Governor Rick Snyder has been supportive of investments in road, bridge and transportation infrastructure in his addresses this year.

“It is vital that the Michigan Legislature act this summer to help raise the badly needed revenue to meet these obligations,” Fischer said in a prepared statement.

John Niemela, executive director of the County Road Association of Michigan, said the state is able to improve because it has continued to dedicate some funding for bridge repair, not only structures on the federal highway system, but also for locally-owned bridges.

“Michigan’s are pretty good,” he said of its bridges.

“The Transportation for America report on bridges underscores what MDOT (Michigan Department of Transportation) and Gov. Snyder have been saying for some time,” said Jeff Cranson, MDOT’s Director of Communications. “While the state’s bridges are safe, without additional funding, it will become increasingly difficult for the state and local communities to maintain roads and bridges. Michigan has not seen an increase in transportation funding since 1997 and the needs grow more critical by the day.”

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