Local Bridge Tops AAA Substandard Bridges List

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WOLO) — A bridge near I-26 and Higway 126, according to AAA, is substandard. “It’s a 55 year old bridge that has been on the top list for the past 15 years,” says Sam Torres, General Manager of the AAA branch on Forest Drive But, SCDOT Bridge Engineer, Lee Floyd, doesn’t agree. “Triple A has their own formula that they’ve come up with, two things wrong with that. One is their formula really has no engineering basis for decision making. Number two, part of the formula involves using an item called sufficiency rating, which is a number from 0 to 100, 100 meaning a bridge is entirely sufficient,” says Floyd Floyd also says state bridges are inspected according to the National Bridge Inspection standard. “The NBI states that a bridge that is not load restricted has to be inspected at least once every 24 months and if it is load restricted or closed, once every 12 months,” says Floyd The list, released today, includes six bridges in Lexington and Richland Counties. Torres says the list serves as an alert. “Usually most folks don’t know about them until, you know, something tragic has happened,” says Torres. But, Floyd says, the label of substandard doesn’t mean mass hysteria should break out. “A bridge that is unsafe, first of all, is going to be restricted for a load or even closed if necessary,” says Floyd And while it may be 55 years old, Floyd says the bridge topping the list got a face lift, of sorts, about 15 years ago. “We had to put some steel saddles underneath that provide for extra support for the beams,” says Floyd Right now, South Carolina spends nearly $125 million dollars a year on briges. That breaks down to $119 million for rebuilding and refurbishing and $6 million for inspections. However, funding may be part of the reason area bridges made the list. SCDOT currently has the lowest funding per mile, in the country.