(Demo) Road and Bridges May 2010 : Page 23
stable plan in place to prevent a quick fall into bond debt, using a portion of the motor fuels taxes, called the Bridge Restricted Count, to pay off the annual spike in funds. According to Kirkpatrick, the strategy is basically recession-proof. Despite a decline in gas-tax revenue and the recent action by the FHWA that prohibited tolling on I-80, the state has made the funding for the bridge pro- gram the top priority. If charging were allowed on I-80, Pennsylvania would be looking at an annual transportation budget of $946 million over the next decade. With the FHWA rejection, PennDOT is now scram- bling to make up $472 million a year. In mid-April Rendell called the state legis- lature into special session to figure out a way to fill the hole, if even partially. Public-private partnerships have been discussed, but would need legislative approval. Kirkpatrick said the state had a $12 billion offer to lease a portion of the Pennsylvania Turnpike but the deal was never considered by the state legislature. A tax on oil company gross profits also may be considered. With projected revenues coming up short, Pennsylvania roads are the one feeling the neglect. According to Kirk- patrick, 6,000 of the state’s 40,000 miles worth of pavement are in poor condi- tion. Pennsylvania hauled in over $1 bil- lion in stimulus money, with a majority of it going toward road rehab work. However, if you ask ROADS & BRIDGES readers, the overall condition of the bridge network has not really improved at all. When government officials were asked if the number of functionally obsolete bridges has gone down, gone up or stayed the same over the past year, 64% said there was no change and 25% said the number actually increased. The mood was similar in regards to struc- turally deficient bridges—51% said the number has stayed the same, while 32% said the number actually worsened. Money from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act also has not been a factor in upgrading the nation’s bridge system. When government officials were asked if they were able to address bridge inventory concerns with stimu- lus money, a hefty 72% said no, and of those bridge managers who actually Bridge Monitoring Reliable data acquisition for over 35 years. WEIGHT LIMIT 20 TONS At Campbell Scientifi c,we design rugged, stand-alone data acquisition systems for any size of bridge. For long-term dynamic or static monitoring, our systems will provide you with accurate decision-making data. (435) 750-9692 www.campbellsci.com/bridge Circle 766 35TH ANNIVERSARY Bridge it. And forget it. Smart project partners are saving time and money by having Big R Bridge design and fabricate heavy duty Modular Steel Bridges for vehicular and pedestrian applications. Economical, turn-key design/fabricate service Available with steel or concrete deck systems Easy to ship, fast to install, limited down time Available in weathering or custom-painted steel Durable and maintenance free Many attractive designs Custom design capability 1-800-234-0734 bigrbridge.com Circle 765 ROADSBRIDGES.com 23
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