South Dakota, Iowa Bridges Among Worst in the Nation
As the highways and byways of America continue to age, there are more and more stretches of road that are well past their prime.
That's especially true for the nation's bridges.
According to the latest numbers from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, more than 45,000 bridges across all 50 states were classified in poor condition.
24/7 Wall St has taken those stats and broken them down into the States With the Most Bridges in Poor Condition.
Things do not look good in Iowa and South Dakota.
The Hawkeye State has the most total bridges in poor condition of any state - 4,571 of Iowa's 23,982 bridges. That's 19.1 percent, which is second only to West Virginia (21.2%).
South Dakota is two spots behind Iowa.
The Mount Rushmore State has 1,038 bridges in poor condition out of the 5,880 total bridges. That's 17.7 percent, which is the fourth-worst in America.
STATES WITH THE MOST BRIDGES IN POOR CONDITION
- West Virginia: 21.2%
- Iowa: 19.1%
- Rhode Island: 19.0%
- South Dakota: 17.7%
- Pennsylvania: 14.6%
- Maine: 12.7%
- Louisiana: 12.7%
- Michigan: 10.8%
- North Dakota: 10.3%
- Oklahoma: 10.0%
Bridges in Minnesota are in much better shape than in the rest of the country.
Of the North Star State's 13,471 bridges, only 661 are in poor condition. That's 4.9%, which is 13th best in America.