A final report is pending on how technological advances can aid in the diagnosis, and ultimate rehabilitation, of the nation's vast bridge network, based on an exhaustive study led by Rutgers University in New Jersey, involving teams from three continents.
The U.S. system includes some 600,000 bridges. This number does not include signature structures such as the Golden Gate Bridge, but it includes all the nameless small overpasses and short-span structures most commuters rely on daily.