Climate Change Is Rapidly Destroying Bridges

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The American Association of Road & Transportation Builders Association issued its 2022 Bridge Report. The details were alarming. Of America’s 224,000 bridges, 36% needed repair, and 78,800 needed to be replaced. It would take 30 years to accomplish the task at the current repair rate. Data also show that climate change is wrecking some bridges. It is hard to say if these overall the 2022 Bridge Report, but it adds a critical asset.

High Temperatures

According to The New York Times, “A study in the journal PLOS ONE found that extreme temperatures resulting from climate change could cause one in four steel bridges in the United States to collapse by 2050.” Much of the cause is the effect of heat on the materials used to build these bridges. Another factor is water. In either case, the process could accelerate because climate change will continue and perhaps worsen. And Americans are moving to areas with dangerous weather.

In addition to the danger to drivers, the paper points out that many trucks and trains go over some of these bridges, so supply chain disruption is threatened.

Subways

Nothing about the news is novel. Weather affects residences and buildings in areas with extreme weather, and that will only spread. The same is true for large transportation sectors like subways. Airport runways have also been affected.

One thing is almost certain. The total cost of bridge repair is estimated at over $200 billion. And the chance that the sum will be available is nearly zero