Latest news with #AASHTO
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Agreement between Connecticut and the Trump administration aims to speed up infrastructure projects
NEW HAVEN, Conn. (WTNH) — The U.S. Department of Transportation and the state of Connecticut announced a new agreement on Thursday that aims to cut red tape and speed up transportation infrastructure projects. The department said the agreement will allow the state to review projects more rapidly, cutting up to six weeks off the schedules of major efforts like the ones at the Gold Star Bridge and along the New Haven Line of Metro-North Railroad. Walmart raising prices due to tariff costs According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, the agreement between the Trump administration and the state is the first of its kind in the country. It comes as state transportation officials from around the country are convening in Hartford for a meeting of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO). Under the agreement, Connecticut will be delegated authority to expedite infrastructure project reviews under the National Historic Preservation Act, a federal law. 'We deeply appreciate the support from the U.S. Department of Transportation in making it a reality,' Commissioner Garrett Eucalitto, the head of the Connecticut Department of Transportation and the national president of AASHTO, said in a written statement issued by the federal Transportation Department. 'By streamlining environmental reviews and cutting government red tape, we can more efficiently advance projects and ultimately reduce costs.' U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Thursday's announcement is part of a broader effort by his department and the entire Trump administration to slash regulations and encourage more construction around the country. 'Thanks to President Trump, America is building again,' Duffy said. 'We've slashed costly red tape and prevented unending environmental reviews to build the big, beautiful infrastructure projects that will propel America forward for generations.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
31-03-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
68 U.S. Bridges Lack Risk Assessment
When the Dali containership struck the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, the deadly collapse triggered an NTSB investigation into U.S. infrastructure. The safety agency wanted to see if other bridges could be susceptible to similar strikes. About two weeks ago, the NTSB identified 68 bridges across 19 states that should conduct a vulnerability assessment. Most Read on IEN: World's Largest Tire Manufacturer Turns to Recycled Materials Canadian Manufacturer Closes Plant, Moves Production to North Carolina New EV Company Trolls Elon Musk with Ultra-Light 'Roadster' PODCAST: Jack Daniel's Trade War Fallout; Ford's Door Lawsuit; Honda Moves to Indiana After the Key Bridge collapsed, an NTSB investigation found that it was nearly 30 times above the acceptable risk threshold for critical or essential bridges, a metric set by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO). The 68 bridges NTSB flagged were designed before AASHTO guidance was established and don't have a current vulnerability assessment. The NTSB isn't saying that these bridges will collapse; it merely wants the 30 bridge owners to evaluate whether they are above acceptable risk levels. If the risk level is high, the NTSB asks the owners to develop and implement a comprehensive risk reduction plan. AASHTO created the vulnerability assessment calculation for new bridges in 1991 in response to the Sunshine Skyway Bridge collapse in Florida. Since 1994, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has required new bridges to minimize the risk of a catastrophic bridge collapse from a vessel collision. The NTSB found that if the Maryland Transportation Authority had conducted a vulnerability assessment on the Key Bridge, it could have been proactive in reducing the bridge's risk of collapse. Neither the FHWA nor AASHTO can require a bridge owner to complete a vulnerability assessment for a bridge designed before the release of the 1991 guidelines. The list (included below) has some pretty notable structures, including the Golden Gate Bridge in California, built in 1937; the Sunshine Skyway Bridge in Florida, built in 1986; the Talmadge Bridge in Georgia, built in 1991; Leo Frigo Bridge in Green Bay, Wisconsin built 1979 and Chicago's Skyway bridge built in 1958. New York topped the list with 13 bridges, including the Brooklyn Bridge, which was built in 1883, as well as the Manhattan and Williamsburg bridges. Louisiana had the second most bridges with eight and seven bridges were flagged in California. The NTSB has recommended that an interdisciplinary team of experts be established to provide guidance and help bridge owners evaluate and reduce risk, which could mean infrastructure improvements or operational changes. A list of U.S. bridges with unknown levels of collapse risk from a vessel collision: California Richmond-San Rafael Bridge Carquinez Bridge Benicia-Martinez Bridge Antioch Bridge Bay San Mateo-Hayward Bridge Coronado Bridge Golden Gate Bridge Golden Gate Bridge Delaware Summit Bridge Saint Georges Bridge Reedy Point Bridge Florida Sunshine Skyway Bridge Napoleon Bonaparte Broward Bridge (Dames Point Bridge) Georgia Talmadge Bridge Illinois Chicago Skyway Calumet River Bridge Louisiana Huey P. Long Bridge Greater New Orleans Bridge Israel LaFleur Bridge Crescent City Connection Bridge Hale Boggs (Luling) Bridge Horace Wilkinson Bridge Gramercy (Veterans Memorial) Bridge Sunshine Bridge Maryland William Preston Lane Jr. (Bay) Bridge (eastbound) William Preston Lane Jr. (Bay) Bridge (westbound) Chesapeake City Bridge Massachusetts Tobin Bridge (southbound upper) Tobin Bridge (northbound lower) Bourne Bridge Sagamore Bridge Michigan Mackinac Bridge New Hampshire Memorial Bridge New Jersey Commodore Barry Bridge Vincent R. Casciano (Newark Bay) Bridge New York Verrazano Narrows Bridge (eastbound) Verrazano Narrows Bridge (westbound) Brooklyn Bridge Manhattan Bridge Williamsburg Bridge Newburgh-Beacon Bridge (eastbound) Newburgh-Beacon Bridge (westbound) Rip Van Winkle Bridge Ogdensburg-Prescott International Bridge George Washington Bridge Outerbridge Crossing Bridge Seaway International Bridge Thousand Islands Bridge Ohio CUY-00490-0010 (I-490) Bridge CUY-00002-1441 (Main Avenue) Bridge CUY-00006-1456 (Detroit Avenue) Bridge CUY-00010-1613 (Carnegie Avenue) Bridge LUC-01W02-0002 (Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial) Bridge LUC-00002-1862 (Anthony Wayne) Bridge Oregon Astoria-Megler Bridge St. Johns Bridge Pennsylvania Walt Whitman Bridge Benjamin Franklin Bridge Betsy Ross Bridge Delaware River Turnpike Bridge Rhode Island Claiborne Pell Newport Bridge Texas Buffalo Bayou Toll Bridge Sidney Sherman Bridge Rainbow Bridge Veterans Memorial Bridge Hartman Bridge (eastbound) Hartman Bridge (westbound) GulfGate Bridge Washington Lewis and Clark Bridge Wisconsin Leo Frigo Bridge Click here to subscribe to our daily newsletter featuring breaking manufacturing industry news.
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
These states have bridges that need to be assessed for collapse risk
(NewsNation) — The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said Thursday that 68 bridges in 19 states should conduct a 'vulnerability assessment' to determine the risk of a collapse. This assessment, the NTSB said, is part of an ongoing investigation of the collapse of The Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore last year. On March 26, 2024, the containership Dali struck the bridge after losing power. At the time it went down, the Key Bridge was almost 30 times above the acceptable risk threshold for critical or essential bridges, the NTSB found, per guidance from the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. In the last year, the NTSB identified 68 bridges designed before this guidance even came out, so they don't have a current vulnerability assessment. 'The recommendations are issued to bridge owners to calculate the annual frequency of collapse for their bridges using AASHTO's Method II calculation,' the press release states. The agency says its report 'does not suggest that the 68 bridges are certain to collapse' — rather, the NTSB is recommending they be evaluated based on the AASHTO acceptable level of risk. Bridges recommended for assessment include the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco; New York's Brooklyn and Manhattan bridges; Lewis and Clark Bridge between Washington and Oregon; the Chicago Skyway Bridge in Illinois and the Huey P. Long Bridge near New Orleans. You can read the full list of bridges in the NTSB's report here. The bridges listed as either 'critical/essential' or typical. Those that are considered critical 'serve as important links' in the Strategic Highway Network. States on the list with bridges to be looked at are California; Delaware; Florida; Georgia; Illinois; Louisiana; Maryland; Massachusetts; Michigan; New Hampshire; New Jersey; New York; Ohio; Oregon; Pennsylvania; Rhode Island; Texas; Washington and Wisconsin. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
21-03-2025
- General
- The Hill
These states have bridges that need to be assessed for collapse risk
(NewsNation) — The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said Thursday that 68 bridges in 19 states should conduct a 'vulnerability assessment' to determine the risk of a collapse. This assessment, the NTSB said, is part of an ongoing investigation of the collapse of The Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore last year. On March 26, 2024, the containership Dali struck the bridge after losing power. At the time it went down, the Key Bridge was almost 30 times above the acceptable risk threshold for critical or essential bridges, the NTSB found, per guidance from the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. In the last year, the NTSB identified 68 bridges designed before this guidance even came out, so they don't have a current vulnerability assessment. 'The recommendations are issued to bridge owners to calculate the annual frequency of collapse for their bridges using AASHTO's Method II calculation,' the press release states. The agency says its report 'does not suggest that the 68 bridges are certain to collapse' — rather, the NTSB is recommending they be evaluated based on the AASHTO acceptable level of risk. Bridges recommended for assessment include the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco; New York's Brooklyn and Manhattan bridges; Lewis and Clark Bridge between Washington and Oregon; the Chicago Skyway Bridge in Illinois and the Huey P. Long Bridge near New Orleans. You can read the full list of bridges in the NTSB's report here. The bridges listed as either 'critical/essential' or typical. Those that are considered critical 'serve as important links' in the Strategic Highway Network. States on the list with bridges to be looked at are California; Delaware; Florida; Georgia; Illinois; Louisiana; Maryland; Massachusetts; Michigan; New Hampshire; New Jersey; New York; Ohio; Oregon; Pennsylvania; Rhode Island; Texas; Washington and Wisconsin.
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Here's the dozens of bridges that could be at risk of collapse across the US
The National Transportation Safety Board has identified 68 bridges across 19 states that may be at risk of collapse, following 'vulnerability assessments.' In a new report, the NTSB identified bridges with 'unknown levels' of collapse risk including famous landmarks such as the Golden Gate Bridge in California, and the Brooklyn Bridge in New York. The report and subsequent recommendations come as part of the ongoing investigation into the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore in March 2024, which occurred after the Dali containership collided with the structure. Over the last year 68 bridges have been identified as being built before 1991 and without a 'current vulnerability assessment." The report urged the bridge owners to calculate whether the probability of a bridge collapse from a vessel collision is above the acceptable risk threshold established by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. 'If so, we urge them to develop and implement a risk reduction plan that includes input from the interdisciplinary team, identifies short- and long-term strategies to reduce risk, and considers the safety of the vessels and structures in the waterways,' the report stated. The recommendations have been issued to 30 owners of the different bridges across the country, the bureau announced on Thursday. Seven bridges were located in California, mostly in the Bay Area – including the iconic Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. Thirteen were named in New York state, including the Brooklyn Bridge, Williamsburg Bridge and the Manhattan bridge. Bridges in need of inspection were also identified in Delaware (3), Florida (2), Georgia (1), Illinois (1), Maryland (3), Massachusetts (4), Michigan (1), New Hampshire (1), New Jersey (2), Ohio (6), Oregon (2), Pennsylvania (4), Rhode island (1), Texas (7), Washington (1) and Wisconsin (1). A full list can be found in Appendix B of the NTSB report. The bureau noted that the findings does not suggest that the 68 bridges are certain to collapse, only in need of assessment under AASHTO standards. On Thursday, federal investigators said that the Maryland Transportation Authority failed to complete a recommended vulnerability assessment that would have shown the Francis Scott Key Bridge was at significant risk of collapse from a ship strike long before its demise. The NTSB found that the Key Bridge was almost 30 times greater than the acceptable risk threshold for critical or essential bridges. NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy said Maryland officials have had decades to assess their bridges. She said they still haven't assessed the Chesapeake Bay Bridge even after last year's collapse. 'There's no excuse,' she said.
