Michigan rushing to complete bridge inspections

The state of Michigan is having trouble keeping up with bridge inspections, so much so that officials are looking to strengthen guidelines to help inspectors determine when spans need to be looked at.

According to the Associated Press, an audit released on Nov. 6 stated that more than 10% of routine bridge inspections were not completed on time from October 2006 to September 2008, and 59% of the underwater examinations were either not done or completed late during that same time frame. Federal and state law requires all bridges to be inspected every two years, and failure to comply could result in a cut in federal funding. The audit blamed those at the city, county, village and township level for the non-compliance.

Auditors also made recommendations on incomplete inspections relating to scour. The Michigan DOT agreed to comply with those recommendations, and said it has been trying to complete erosion evaluations and prepare response plans. MDOT added that it should be up to date with inspections by the end of the year. However, according to the AP, those at the local level still have nearly 1,500 inspections to execute over the next six weeks.