6 Percent of Somerset County Bridges Deemed Structurally Deficient

Of Somerset County's 498 bridges, about 6 percent have been rated structurally deficient.

Additionally, 13 percent are considered to be functionally obsolete and not in line with current lane and shoulder standards, or occasionally flood, according to National Bridge Inventory data. The average age of a Somerset County bridge is 49 years old.

About one in four bridges in the state are either in poor condition or unable to handle current traffic loads, the data shows.

Each bridge was rated based on structure, substructure and its deck to determine the type of work needed to fully restore the bridge. Some of the more highly-trafficked bridges are under the ownership of the state and recommended work varies from smaller fixes to full-scale replacement.

The data shows clusters of bridges in need of repairs along I-78, particularly near Bedminster. More than a dozen I-78 bridges in Somerset County are rated as being structurally deficient and several others were deemed functionally obsolete.

In a report card for New Jersey's Infrastructure Needs included in the Facing Our Future Report, the state was given a grade of D for bridges. The costs to repair all Somerset County bridges would top $161 million.

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