State audit questions bridge inspections

SPRINGFIELD -- More than 1,700 Illinois bridges were overdue for federally required inspections and, in some cases, the state transportation department was more than a year delinquent in checking the structures, auditors said Thursday.

In addition, auditors found that several of the bridges overdue for inspection had already been rated "structurally deficient."

The transportation department was also criticized for going more than a year without anyone formally overseeing its bridge inspection program, a post that is also required by federal regulations.

Auditors questioned the accuracy of bridge inspection data and generally recommended the department start doing a better job.

A spokesman for the department said computer flaws in a database contributed to the bridges not being inspected. The spokesman said the database failed to flag officials when some bridges were due for an inspection.

"We made corrections in the database so that bridges are not slipping by and made sure we are catching them in time," said Mike Claffey, an Illinois Department of Transportation spokesman. "We take the obligation of inspecting and repairing them very seriously."

Department officials also said they'd named a bridge inspection manager but not formally told federal officials. Claffey said someone had been assigned to the job but the transportation department failed to submit paperwork notifying federal officials. Claffey said the department has since submitted the proper documents.

Claffey said last year's deadly bridge collapse in Minneapolis emphasized how important it is to be aware of their condition. "IDOT's No. 1 priority is the safety of bridges and roads in our system," Claffey said.

"We want the public to know the state has one of the best-ranked bridge systems in the nation and we continue to make very effort to make sure they're inspected on a regular manner."

The 1,752 bridges behind on inspections represented 6.6 percent of the bridges in the state.