Description of the Indicator
This indicator examines the percentage of bridges that are in poor health, as well as the total number of bridges. This indicator uses data from the Federal Highway Administration National Bridge Inventory. In 2018, the Federal Highway Administration’s National Bridge Inventory changed its procedures for bridge evaluation and no longer reports the number of structurally deficient bridges. Instead, bridges are categorized as good, fair, or poor.
Why is it important?
Assessing the number of bridges and the proportion of bridges in poor health can aid in evaluating infrastructure maintenance needs to maintain efficient transportation systems. This indicator has the potential to help long-term planning improvements.
How is the region performing?
There are a total of 366 bridges in Lackawanna County in 2023, an increase of 23 bridges from 2018. From 2022 to 2023, the number of bridges rose by two, and those in poor condition decreased by two percentage points.
Luzerne County has increased its bridges by 20 from 2018 to 2023. The number of bridges in poor condition from 2022 to 2023 decreased by 1.9 percentage points, and the total number of bridges increased by six.
From 2018 to 2023, Wayne County has increased its number of bridges by 12. Unlike the other counties in the region, Wayne County has experienced a slight increase of one percentage point in the proportion of its bridges that are in poor health from 2021 to 2022.