A Look at โ€˜Structurally Deficient' Bridges in San Diego County

Federal data shows 28 highway pedestrian bridges in San Diego County were labeled as "structurally deficient," meaning โ€œa bridge is safe but in need of repair, closer monitoring or weight restrictions so that it does not become unsafe.โ€

With the collapsing bridge tragedy unfolding in Miami, NBC 7 Investigates took a broader look at the state of highway and pedestrian bridges here in San Diego County and if any are in need of repairs. 

According to data from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), San Diego County has 51 pedestrian or bicycle bridges and 772 highway pedestrian bridges, meaning they are used by both vehicles and pedestrians. FHWA made the note only one bridge is considered purely pedestrian in San Diego County. 

FHWA data shows 28 highway pedestrian bridges were labeled as "structurally deficient," meaning โ€œa bridge is safe but in need of repair, closer monitoring or weight restrictions so that it does not become unsafe for public travel.โ€ 

To see the 28 bridges we found, look below or click here

NBC 7 Investigates reached out to Caltrans officials Thursday afternoon to see if the bridges we found had any repairs in the years since this was reported. We are still waiting to hear back from them. 

On Friday, FHWA officials confirmed the 28 bridges are still listed as "structurally deficient."

UPDATE - 3/16/18, 3:40PM

Edward Cartagena, a Public Information Officer for Caltrans said he was working on researching the status of the bridges we had identified in our reporting.

In the meantime, Cartagena sent us this statement, โ€œ'Structurally deficient' does not have any direct correlation to the overall safety of a bridge. It simply identifies bridges that are eligible for Federal funding for rehabilitation or replacement. A bridge that simply needs painting can be marked as 'structurally deficient'. All bridges in California that are open to traffic are safe, and our bridge inspectors have the authority to close down any structure that doesnโ€™t meet our stringent safety standards."

Contact Us