NJ Infrastructure > Infrastructure by Category > Bridges
Infrastructure by Category:
Bridges (Grade D)
New Jersey has 6,420 bridges in its inventory as defined by the National Bridge Inventory (NBI), 2006. This includes all state, local, and municipal bridges 20 feet and longer.
The bridge inventory can be further broken down into bridge ownership categories, state, local, private or special agencies. Currently New Jersey has 2,683 bridges that are state maintained, 2,549 maintained by local governments, 14 are privately maintained and 24 are maintained by special agencies. New Jersey also has 1,164 toll bridges.
In terms of route importance and bridges, New Jersey's bridge inventory includes 2,504 bridges that are part of the National Highway System (NHS). The NHS is defined as roadways important to the nation's economy, defense, and mobility. When looking at the condition and ratings of bridges, the NHS bridges will be looked at separately since they are of a higher importance and function on a national level.
Inspection Frequency/Methods
All New Jersey Bridges are inspected on a reoccurring frequency in
accordance with the National Bridge Inspection Standards (NBIS).
Inspection data for all bridges is compiled in a manner consistent
with the NBIS and entered into the NBI. This data is used as the
basis for grading of New Jersey Bridges.
NBIS Rating System
The NBIS through Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the
American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials
(AASHTO) documents provides guidelines for rating and documenting the
condition and general attributes of bridges and defines the scope of
bridge inspections. Standard condition evaluations are documented for
individual bridge components as well as ratings for the functional
aspects of the bridge. These ratings are weighted and combined into
an overall Sufficiency Rating for a bridge on a 0 to 100 scale. This
rating can be used to make general observations on the condition of a
bridge or an inventory of bridges. ASCE used sufficiency ratings and
the number of bridges determined to be functionally obsolete or
structurally deficient as a basis for grading New Jersey bridges.
Sufficiency: The factors considered in determining a sufficiency rating are: S1 - Structural Adequacy and Safety (55% maximum), S2 - Serviceability and Functional Obsolescence (30% maximum), S3 - Essentiality for Public Use (15% maximum), and S4 - Special Reductions (detour length, traffic safety features, and structure type-13% maximum).
In addition to the sufficiency rating, the NBIS provides criteria to define a bridge as structurally deficient or functionally obsolete, which triggers the need for remedial action.:
Structurally Deficient: A bridge that is structurally deficient (SD) is safe to carry reduced traffic loads but is approaching the condition where replacement or rehabilitation will be necessary. A bridge is structurally deficient if its deck, superstructure, or substructure is rated less than or equal to 4 (poor) or if the overall structure evaluation for load capacity or waterway adequacy is less than or equal to 2 (critical). Note a bridge's structural condition is given a rating between 9 (excellent) and 0 (representing a failed condition). In a worse case scenario a structurally deficient bridge may be closed to traffic.
Functionally Obsolete: A bridge that is functionally obsolete (FO) is safe to carry traffic but has less than the desirable geometric conditions required by current standards. A bridge is functionally obsolete if the deck geometry, underclearances, approach roadway alignment, overall structural evaluation for load capacity, or waterway adequacy rates less than or equal to 3 (serious).
Condition Assessment of the New Jersey Bridge Inventory
The number of New Jersey bridges listed as either structurally
deficient or functionally obsolete since 1996 is shown below. Results
are shown for NHS and non-NHS bridges.
New Jersey
NHS Highway Bridges
Year Total # of Bridges Structurally Deficient Functionally Obsolete Total of Both
# % # % # %
1996 2,644 371 14.03 533 20.16 904 34.19
1997 2,656 306 11.52 528 19.88 834 31.40
1998 2,682 268 9.99 540 20.13 808 30.13
1999 2,688 239 8.89 544 20.24 783 29.13
2000 2,492 174 6.98 492 19.74 666 26.73
2001 2,501 173 6.92 500 19.99 673 26.91
2002 2,523 184 7.29 497 19.70 681 26.99
2003 2,508 181 7.22 498 19.86 679 27.07
2004 2,519 170 6.75 520 20.64 690 27.39
2005 2,507 176 7.02 527 21.02 703 28.04
2006 2,504 179 7.15 542 21.65 721 28.79
New Jersey
Non - NHS Highway Bridges
Year Total # of Bridges Structurally Deficient Functionally Obsolete Total of Both
# % # % # %
1996 3,608 869 24.09 838 23.23 1707 47.31
1997 3,626 830 22.89 879 24.24 1709 47.13
1998 3,633 807 22.21 861 23.70 1668 45.91
1999 3,653 758 20.75 854 23.38 1612 44.13
2000 3,858 791 20.50 910 23.59 1701 44.09
2001 3,865 757 19.59 920 23.80 1677 43.39
2002 3,852 722 18.74 933 24.22 1655 42.96
2003 3,869 673 17.39 943 24.37 1616 41.77
2004 3,965 720 18.16 960 24.21 1680 42.37
2005 3,938 662 16.81 976 24.78 1638 41.59
2006 3,916 581 14.84 990 25.28 1571 40.12
New Jersey
ALL SYSTEMS Bridges
Year Total # of Bridges Structurally Deficient Functionally Obsolete Total of Both
# % # % # %
1996 6,252 1240 19.83 1371 21.93 2611 41.76
1997 6,282 1136 18.08 1407 22.40 2543 40.48
1998 6,315 1075 17.02 1401 22.19 2476 39.21
1999 6,341 997 15.72 1398 22.05 2395 37.77
2000 6,350 965 15.20 1402 22.08 2367 37.28
2001 6,366 930 14.61 1420 22.31 2350 36.91
2002 6,375 906 14.21 1430 22.43 2336 36.64
2003 6,377 854 13.39 1441 22.60 2295 35.99
2004 6,484 890 13.73 1480 22.83 2370 36.55
2005 6,445 838 13.00 1503 23.32 2341 36.32
2006 6,420 760 11.84 1532 23.86 2292 35.70
The results show that the percentage of deficient bridges in New Jersey has decreased and the percentage of New Jersey obsolete bridges has remained relatively steady since 1996, while the size of the inventory has stayed relatively constant.
Based on a 2007 NJDOT Interim Bridge Report , out of New Jersey's approximate 6,400 bridges, 58% of bridges (3708) have a sufficiency rating greater than 80, 34% (2174) have a sufficiency rating between 50 and 80, and 8% of bridges (552) have a sufficiency rating less than 50. The national statistics are 56% (346,638) for SR> 80, 29% (178,539) with a SR between 50 and 80 and 16% (97,460) with a SR lower than 50 .
In addition to the general NBI rating information, it should be noted that New Jersey has taken steps to ensure that its bridges are safe, its bridges are in a state of good repair and bridge deterioration is slowed down. While the Department of Transportation's scour retrofit program is still ongoing, high risk scour vulnerable bridges have been identified and are receiving remedial action. In addition NJDOT implements several programs (Bridge Rehabilitation and Replacement, Bridge Deck Rehabilitation, Bridge Preservation and Preventive Maintenance) aimed at maintaining and improving bridge conditions.
Bridge conditions in New Jersey are below desirable standards. Thirty-six percent of the state's bridges are structurally deficient or functionally obsolete based on combined 2006 data from previous tables. The 2006 nationwide average for bridges either deficient or obsolete is approximately twenty-five percent.
Funding Outlook and Need
The deficiencies cited in this report are not a reflection of the
effectiveness of state and local transportation agencies, but of a
lack of adequate funding and the effects of aging transportation
infrastructure. Nearly one-third ($2.2 billion) of NJDOT's FY 2001 to
FY 2005 $6.8 billion Capital Program is allocated towards achieving a
state of good repair and maintaining capital assets . The program
includes reducing or eliminating the backlog of structurally
deficient bridges and implementation of preventive maintenance
programs for bridges.
New Jersey's 2010 Programmatic Approach establishes direction for transportation infrastructure investment to offset the effects of aging and deterioration. NJDOT's Capital Investment Strategy along with New Jersey FIRST plan calls for fixing the existing transportation system first and bringing the transportation system to a state of good repair by 2010. But New Jersey's projected population and employment growth will increase demand on the State's transportation system still further. NJ's Outlook for 2025 estimates capital needs, required to maintain and expand the transportation network, between FY 2001 and FY 2010 at $35.4 billion. The cumulative capital costs will grow to $85.8 billion by FY 2025. (These amounts include NJDOT's and NJ TRANSIT's portion of capital costs.)
NJ's transportation infrastructure is vital to New Jersey's economic growth and prosperity. Appropriate levels of funding must be provided to address the State's critical needs, improve mobility and ensure the safety and reliability of the transportation system. For the next five years, starting in FY 2007, New Jersey is proposing a $1.6 billion annual capital program, but even higher levels of funding are needed to reduce the backlog of bridge needs and reverse the rate of bridge deterioration. An increase to $675M per year is required . A total annual investment of at least $1.7B would be required to eliminate the deficient backlog over the next ten years .
Conclusion
Based on the NBI data presented here, trends and most significantly
the bridge repair and rehabilitation funding outlook, ASCE assigns a
Grade of D to New Jersey Bridges. Grades were assigned on the basis
of condition and funding versus need. At the current rate of funding
levels, the number of structurally deficient and functionally
obsolete bridges is expected to increase, given the ongoing aging and
deterioration process.
The deficiencies cited in this report are not a reflection of the effectiveness of state and local transportation agencies, but of a lack of adequate funding and the effects of aging transportation infrastructure. Nearly one-third ($2.2 billion) of NJDOT's FY 2001 to FY 2005 $6.8 billion Capital Program is allocated towards achieving a state of good repair and maintaining capital assets . The program includes reducing or eliminating the backlog of structurally deficient bridges and implementation of preventive maintenance programs for bridges.
New Jersey's 2010 Programmatic Approach establishes direction for transportation infrastructure investment to offset the effects of aging and deterioration. NJDOT's Capital Investment Strategy along with New Jersey FIRST plan calls for fixing the existing transportation system first and bringing the transportation system to a state of good repair by 2010. But New Jersey's projected population and employment growth will increase demand on the State's transportation system still further. NJ's Outlook for 2025 estimates capital needs, required to maintain and expand the transportation network, between FY 2001 and FY 2010 at $35.4 billion. The cumulative capital costs will grow to $85.8 billion by FY 2025. (These amounts include NJDOT's and NJ TRANSIT's portion of capital costs.)
NJ's transportation infrastructure is vital to New Jersey's economic growth and prosperity. Appropriate levels of funding must be provided to address the State's critical needs, improve mobility and ensure the safety and reliability of the transportation system. For the next five years, starting in FY 2007, New Jersey is proposing a $1.6 billion annual capital program, but even higher levels of funding are needed to reduce the backlog of bridge needs and reverse the rate of bridge deterioration. An increase to $675M per year is required . A total annual investment of at least $1.7B would be required to eliminate the deficient backlog over the next ten years .
Conclusion
Based on the NBI data presented here, trends and most significantly
the bridge repair and rehabilitation funding outlook, ASCE assigns a
Grade of D to New Jersey Bridges. Grades were assigned on the basis
of condition and funding versus need. At the current rate of funding
levels, the number of structurally deficient and functionally
obsolete bridges is expected to increase, given the ongoing aging and
deterioration process.