A study of every bridge in the U.S. Department of Transportation database has discovered a need for $319 billion worth of major repairs or replacement work on a total of 222,000 spans across the country.

The findings published in the American Road & Transportation Builders Association’s 2023 analysis also showed an overall decline of 560 bridges in need of repair versus last year. The news comes a little less than two years removed from the belabored passage of the $1 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, a piece of legislation that included no less than $40 billion for bridge projects through the end of 2027.

Construction Dive has more analysis of the new report, which showed an increase in the overall share of bridges that are in "fair" condition simultaneous to a decline of those in both "poor" and "good" categories.

West Virginia leads all states, with 20% of all its bridges being deemed deficient, followed by Iowa (19%), South Dakota (17%), and Rhode Island (15%). There are currently over 2,000 repair projects in the construction pipeline, according to the data. Only 30% of available funding has been committed to repairs thus far nationwide. Congress says it could take up to 20 years to eliminate the current backlog.

Infrastructure has become a top priority for the Federal government since the Biden administration took office in 2021. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg recently told reporters, "The important thing is right now we are moving it in the right direction so that instead of getting worse, it's getting better."

The ARTBA's full 2023 Bridge Report can be accessed here.