What makes a bridge “historic”? Many people assume that they know a historic bridge when they see one. The Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, is one example because of the extraordinary civil rights events that took place on it in 1965. The Brooklyn Bridge is another because of its architectural grandeur, extraordinary setting, and […] Read More
The White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) recently announced new rules that significantly update and modernize the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) for the first time in more than 40 years. The updated rules are documented in the “Update to the Regulations Implementing the Procedural Provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act.” The changes […] Read More
Italy is half a world away from the United States. What could cities here possibly learn from a bridge collapse that happened there? Quite a bit, as it turns out. The Italian calamity shows what may happen if things don’t change soon in the U.S. Will legislators and government officials learn from it? Let’s start […] Read More
The coronavirus pandemic is having a big impact on all aspects of the economy. Millions of people are unemployed. Business activity has slowed. State and local tax revenue is reduced, and governments are being forced to spend more on pandemic-related healthcare and prevention. Many people working in the bridge industry are now left with questions […] Read More
Many bridge designers, contractors, maintenance personnel and managers question whether bridge fires are something they should consider a top priority and spend time and money to protect against. Things like extreme weather (especially winds), earthquakes, collisions and ongoing wear-and-tear are well known causes of catastrophic bridge failures. The truth: Fires are something everyone working on […] Read More
Anyone who works on bridges deals with risks every day. It’s a part of life when building and repairing these perilous structures, handling difficult tasks in challenging locations, and managing complex projects. Much of the risk is mitigated by: Following safety standards on job sites. Ensuring that project requirements and expectations are defined in carefully […] Read More
Do you understand how using the right equipment can make challenging bridge inspection and maintenance projects easier — and safer — to do? Most people, even those who do bridge-related work every day, don’t. Here are overviews of three recent bridge initiatives, including information about what made them particularly difficult to work on and how […] Read More
Who would have thought that this would be a question that anyone would ever need to think about? But today, many municipalities are asking exactly that. The bridge revenue crisis One of the countless impacts of stay-at-home orders and reduced business activity during the coronavirus pandemic is a devastating decline in bridge tolls and gas […] Read More
Roads & Bridges Media has been conducting an ongoing survey of people in bridge- and road-related industries to find out how the coronavirus pandemic is affecting them and their operations. The respondents work at engineering firms, departments of transportation and other government agencies, contracting businesses, companies that supply building and other materials, businesses that provide […] Read More
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a big impact on all aspects of everyone’s lives and the economy. Even those who design, inspect, maintain, and manage bridges, who are generally not hard hit by economic shifts, have experienced stay-at-home orders and significant work slowdowns. However, there could be good news for people who work on and […] Read More