A recent report found the state of Iowa has the most structurally deficient bridges in the country. There are around 176 bridges in Washington County, some over 40 years old, and county officials say they’re doing their best to keep them up to date. Structurally deficient doesn’t mean unsafe, it means the bridge can no longer support the weight it was originally designed for so it has to post a lower weight-limit. Washington County Engineer Jacob Thorius said people don’t need to be worried about the bridges since the county inspects them frequently. If the general public follows the information that’s posted, they should stay safe.

He said it’s hard to keep ahead of the curve with the bridges, and it comes down to a funding issue. There isn’t enough funding to fix everything right away, so they have to look at which ones are the most in need of fixing and repair them accordingly.