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The Deteriorating State of America’s Bridges Amid Climate Change
Explore the alarming decline of America’s bridges in the face of climate change. This article delves into the challenges, risks, and urgent need for infrastructure revitalization to ensure safety and sustainability for future generations.
The Impact of Climate Change on America’s Bridges
On a sweltering 95-degree day this summer, New York City’s Third Avenue Bridge, which connects the Bronx and Manhattan, became incapacitated, stuck in the open position for several hours. Meanwhile, in the Midwest, extreme heat and severe flooding took their toll, causing a steel railroad bridge linking Iowa to South Dakota to collapse under the relentless surge of water. In Lewiston, Maine, another bridge was forced to close after its pavement buckled due to drastic temperature fluctuations.
A significant portion of America’s bridges—approximately a quarter—was constructed before 1960 and is already in dire need of repair. However, the situation is exacerbated by the increasing frequency of extreme heat and flooding associated with climate change, which is hastening the deterioration of the nation’s bridge infrastructure. Engineers are now warning that these conditions are effectively causing bridges to age prematurely.
The consequences of this deterioration present a silent yet escalating threat to the safe transport of people and goods across the country. This situation serves as another stark reminder of how climate change is altering daily life in ways that many Americans may not fully comprehend.
“We are facing a bridge crisis that is directly linked to extreme weather events,” stated Paul Chinowsky, a professor of civil engineering at the University of Colorado Boulder, who specializes in researching the impacts of climate change on infrastructure. “These incidents are not typical; they are not occurrences we would see under normal climate conditions. The rate at which these events are happening is unprecedented.”
Bridges that were designed and constructed decades ago, utilizing materials that were not engineered to endure sharp temperature fluctuations, are now experiencing rapid expansion and contraction. This process is compromising their structural integrity.
“The heat is becoming so intense that the components that hold together the concrete and steel are failing,” Dr. Chinowsky explained. “In essence, these bridges can disintegrate like Tinkertoys.”