19 Boone County bridges are considered structurally deficient

Missouri is one of the top five states in the nation with the most structurally deficient bridges. Meaning the bridges are in poor condition, and for some they should be shut down.

Out of the 345 bridges in Boone County, 150 Boone County Public Works is responsible for 19 are considered to be in poor condition, with seven to eight needing repair.

If a bridge is deficient, Boone County says they can lower the weight limit to help lessen the pressure on the beams but that could take two to three years to complete.

“Problems arise but we kind of have a sense of what’s going on before it becomes a problem,” Derin Campbell, chief engineer with the county said.

As far as funding, Campbell says the county has enough funds for the bridge repairs thanks to the half cent sales tax. If the county runs out of funds, the projects will be pushed back to the next year. Campbell says the team tries to make sure they are proactive in knowing which bridges are in need of repair.

“We try to be proactive, get things scheduled in advance,” Campbell said. “We get them start in design phase before they actually get critical.”

There are four reasons as to why it takes so long for a bridge to be repaired. The county has to make sure they have the right permit, right of ways are established, environmental problems and utility relocation.