As many drivers in Louisiana know, the Calcasieu River Bridge in Lake Charles sits near the top of any list of US infrastructure needs.
Photo by Mark Felix for The Washington Post via Getty Images
Transportation
Where Are America’s Most Vulnerable Bridges?
Hundreds of aging “fracture critical” bridges across the US are in poor condition, according to federal data. But weighing their needs and safety risks is a challenge.
On any given day, motorists make some 87,000 trips across the Calcasieu River Bridge, which carries Interstate 10 over the north end of Lake Charles, Louisiana. That’s more than double the traffic load it was designed for when it opened in 1952. The bridge has since gone the way of much of America’s aging infrastructure: in urgent need of replacement.