A lot of folks get creeped out when crossing bridges. Many Quad Cities residents dread crossing the narrow I-74 bridge which, when it was built in the 1930's and twinned in the 1960's, was not designed to interstate highway standards or speeds.

According to the Federal Highway Administration, the bridge Quad Citians should be more concerned about is the Centennial Bridge. The crossing between downtown Rock Island and downtown Davenport received a 3% sufficiency rating.

The Washington Post reports that "bridges are rated by a sufficiency rating that is an overall measure based on inspector ratings of many aspects of the bridge’s top deck and underlying structure. The worst bridges, generally with a score below 50 percent, are classified as 'structurally deficient.' Bridges with scores generally between 50 and 80 percent are considered 'functionally obsolete.' A low score does not mean that a bridge will fall, but it indicates that it needs repair.

The Centennial falls well into the 'structurally deficient' category, while sections of the I-74 bridge scored between a 38% and 54% rating, putting them in both the deficient, and functionally obsolete categories.

The results clearly indicate that America needs to get serious about replacing and repairing its infrastructure. The I-74 bridge is on its way to being replaced, but what is the plan for bringing the Centennial up to standards?

- Craig

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