ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (AP) -- Hundreds of bridges in northwest Missouri and northeastern Kansas are being called "structurally deficient."
The St. Joseph News-Press reports that the National Bridge Inventory Database defines a structurally deficient bridge as having one or more structural defects that require attention. It doesn't mean the bridges are unsafe for driving and does not identify the severity of the deficiency.
Missouri Department of Transportation bridge engineer Scott Stephens says that if a bridge is deemed unsafe for driving, MoDOT will close the route to the bridge until repairs are made.
The 2016 report says one Missouri county alone, Nodaway County, has 60 deficient bridges, and DeKalb County has 45. In Kansas, the survey found 53 structurally deficient bridges in Atchison County and 28 in Doniphan County.