How many Texas bridges are ‘structurally deficient?’

Texas bridges are among the safest in the nation, according to a 2023 analysis by the non-partisan American Road & Transportation Builders Association. Nearly 20% of the state’s more than 56,000 bridges need repair, but less than 2% are considered structurally deficient, meaning one of the key elements is in poor or worse condition.

On Tuesday morning, a cargo ship smashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, bringing the structure down and presumably killing six construction workers on the structure. The bodies of two people were recovered from the site Wednesday, Maryland State Police said.

North Texas does not have any boat ports or bridges similar in structure to the Francis Scott Key Bridge, but there are hundreds of bridges that cross other roadways, railroads, rivers, lakes and basins.

Five bridges in Dallas are among the most-traveled structurally deficient bridges, including:

• Interstate 35E over Oak Lawn Avenue and Turtle Creek, with more than 194,000 daily crossings
• Interstate 30 over Lake Ray Hubbard with nearly 142,000 daily crossings
• Northbound Interstate 45 Connector over Interstate 30 with more than 138,000 daily crossings
• Interstate 30 westbound over Interstate 635 with more than 81,000 daily crossings
• Interstate 635 eastbound over the Kansas City Southern railroad, with more than 76,000 daily crossings

Texas will receive a total of $576.8 million in bridge formula funds over the life of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. More than $178 million has been committed toward 88 projects as of June 2023.

The I-635 bridge over the Kansas City Railroad and the I-30 bridge over I-635 are being rebuilt as part of the LBJ East project, which is expected to wrap up in 2025.

The Dallas District has awarded a contract for the I-45 to I-30 direct connector ramp repair job and it should start in the next few months, according to the Texas Department of Transportation.

TxDOT has identified funding for the I-35E at Oak Lawn project, and is working on repair plans, the agency confirmed. A maintenance project contract for the I-30 bridge over Lake Ray Hubbard will be awarded in April.

The number of structurally deficient bridges last year, 708, is down from 774 in 2022. Of the more than 11,000 that need some kind of repair, 2,679 — which account for over 9.3 million daily crossings — have been recommended for total replacement.

Related Stories

Read More

New book argues for removal of I-345 in Dallas

The impacts of highways — and what we can do about them — is the subject of a new book, City Limits: Infrastructure, Inequality, and the Future of America’s Highways, by Austin-based journalist Megan Kimble.

Dallas’ bond package proposes $521 million to repair streets, infrastructure over 5 years

Proposition A is the largest ballot proposal part of a $1.25 billion bond package for the May 4 election with more than $521 million slated to go to Dallas street and transportation projects.

Dallas-Fort Worth cities turn to AI to cut down on traffic, accidents

Arlington is the latest city to adopt a ‘smart’ traffic signal platform at its major intersections.