Hunter
07/21/25
The state of Iowa has the most bridges in the nation classified in poor condition, but the Iowa Department of Transportation says they’ve made great strides in improving state-owned bridges.
The Gazette reports that 237 bridges were rated poor after inspection; last year, that number had been whittled down to just 23.
Jim Nelson is director of the Bridges and Structures Bureau at the Iowa DOT. He says the “poor” designation is not a reflection of bridge safety but those that have signs of deterioration or damage. He told the newspaper that any bridge found “unsafe” during inspection would be closed or restricted immediately.
The state DOT has been taking advantage of federal funds granted as part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act that provided funding from 2022 to 2026. It’s increased the state’s budget for the Iowa Bridges and Structures Bureau by about 30 percent.
The Gazette adds that the 23 poor-rated bridges operated by the state are only a small fraction of the poor-rated bridges in Iowa. In fact, there are more poor-rated bridges under the jurisdiction of Iowa counties — 4,306 — than the 4205 total bridges under the DOT’s jurisdiction. Many of them are smaller, low-traffic bridges in rural areas that haven’t been prioritized by city or county budgets.