LA County Bridges Connect Communities

Most of us don’t think twice about the bridges that connect our communities. But what if you woke up one day and the Vincent Thomas Bridge in San Pedro or Colorado Street Bridge in Pasadena were inaccessible? Bridges play a critical role in our daily lives and it’s important to invest in the network of bridges that keep LA County moving.  

 The Federal Highway Administration estimates the backlog of repairs for existing bridges is  $125 billion and increasing investment on bridge rehabilitation by 58% from $14.4 billion annually to $22.7 billion annually is necessary to improve their condition. At the current rate of investment, it will take until 2071 to make all the repairs that are necessary.  

 In Los Angeles County, there are approximately 1400 bridges, 66% of these bridges are older than 50 years and have exceeded their designed service life. Of these bridges older than 50 years, 6% are rated as being in poor condition. 

President Biden’s American Jobs Plan is a good step towards addressing these challenges. Currently funding for bridges is being programmed years into the future—in some cases as far as 15 years out. The American Jobs Plan would invest $115 billion in infrastructure to help fix the most economically significant large bridges in the country and repair the worst 10,000 smaller bridges. It will ensure that bridges in LA County are modernized, safe, and connect communities for generations to come.