The American bridge design and construction industry has turned the corner in embracing tools such as 4D modeling, public-private partnerships and drones. But ongoing funding uncertainties amid the political climate continue to plague bridge stewards as they mark the 10th anniversary of the Interstate 35W bridge collapse.
Tom Everett, associate administrator with the Federal Highway Administration, noted that 2017 also marks the 50th anniversary of the Pt. Pleasant Bridge collapse, in which 46 people died after the failure of an I-bar chain on the West Virginia suspension bridge. While inspection standards have changed in response to various bridge disasters, he asked International Bridge Conference attendees last week, “Are we better off today?”