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Alabama woman works to help returning citizens rebuild their lives; Marist polls: Harris leads Trump in Michigan, Wisconsin; they're tied in Pennsylvania; UAW contract negotiations at VW focus on healthcare, safety, wages; NC dentists warn of crisis due to low Medicaid reimbursement rates.

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The Teamsters choose not to endorse a presidential candidate, county officials in Texas fight back against state moves to limit voter registration efforts, and the FBI investigate suspicious packages sent to elections offices in at least 17 states.

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A USDA report shows a widening gap in rural versus urban health, a North Carolina county remains divided over a LGBTQ library display, and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz' policies are spotlighted after his elevation to the Democratic presidential ticket.

MA Ranks 26th for Percentage of "Worst Bridges"

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Monday, April 13, 2015   

BOSTON - If your morning commute takes you across a bridge, a new report finds you could be traveling across a span with issues related to its superstructure, deck or substructure. Alison Black, chief economist with the American Road and Transportation Builders Association, says Massachusetts ranks in the middle of the road at number 26 among states for the percentage of bridges in its inventory that are in serious need of repair, according to the group's new report.

"Just under nine percent of the bridge inventory is classified as structurally deficient, so it's 459 bridges," says Black. "The average age of all the bridges in Massachusetts is 56 years old."

She notes, aging bridges in the Commonwealth are a good deal older than the national average for a bridge, which is about 42 years. Nationwide, the report indicates more than 60,000 bridges are structurally compromised and many of those connect the most-traveled interstate highways.

Black says Congress faces an end-of-May deadline for funding the Highway Trust Fund and many states are in a holding pattern waiting on a clear signal as to whether federal funds will be forthcoming.

"So, when there is that uncertainty, that certainly impacts the pace of some of this work, as well as getting new projects out the door," says Black. "For many New England states they are very highly dependent on that federal aid program for their capital investment."

Black says the nation is under-funding road work at all levels. She says a big concern is that even as states play catch-up on bridge work, it often comes at the expense of pavement needs in many states.


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