Mississippi officials ordered the shutdown of 102 locally owned bridges last week after federal transportation officials warned that if dangerous bridges were not closed immediately, the state could lose access to federal funds for infrastructure.
The National Bridge Inspection Standards and the Mississippi Office of State Aid Road Construction had earlier judged the bridges deficient. MDOT began enforcing the closures on April 12.
“These bridges have been deemed unsafe for the traveling public,” according to Gov. Phil Bryant in a March 10 press release. “Keeping them open constitutes an unnecessary risk to public safety, violates the corrective action plan agreed upon by the state and federal government and jeopardizes federal infrastructure funds Mississippi receives.”
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has determined that keeping the bridges open constitutes an unacceptable safety risk to the traveling public, prompting Bryant to sign a proclamation declaring a state of emergency and ordering the Mississippi Department of Transportation to immediately close the bridges.
