WASHINGTON (TNS) — More than two years after Pittsburgh’s Fern Hollow Bridge collapsed, Pennsylvania last year reported repairing more deficient bridges than any other state.

There were 90 fewer bridges with at least one structural element in poor condition this year than last, the biggest drop of any other state, new Federal Highway Administration figures show.

Even so, motorists every day continue to drive across hundreds of deficient Pennsylvania bridges. Around 12.6% of the state’s bridges — 2,932 of 23,299 — have at least one structural element in poor condition, the sixth-highest percentage among the 50 states, the FHA data show.

A year ago, 13% of the state’s bridges were deficient, also ranking Pennsylvania sixth.

In 2013, 23% of Pennsylvania spans were in poor condition — the highest percentage in the nation.

Alison Premo Black, chief economist for the American Road and Transportation Builders Association, singled out Pennsylvania as one of the states with “significant progress” in reducing the backlog of bridges in poor condition.

“While improvements can take time, every bridge repair increases the safety and efficiency of our network for the traveling public,” she said.

Most of the structurally deficient bridges are not in imminent danger of collapse, but their poor ratings indicate that they need to be fixed or replaced sooner rather than later.

Helping to reduce the backlog of deficient bridges was President Joe Biden’s infrastructure law — which was opposed by every House Republican in Pennsylvania except for Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Bucks. The measure includes $1.8 billion in bridge funding, of which the state already has earmarked $729.4 million for 359 projects as of June 2024, according to the road and transportation builders group.

Nationally, 42,080 of 623,218 bridges were deficient, or 6.8%, down from 42,404 a year earlier.

Most of the state’s most heavily traveled deficient bridges were in the Philadelphia area, except for the Parkway East (I-376) bridge over the Old William Penn Highway and Leak Run, according to the American Road and Transportation Builders Association. That structure, built in 1962, carries 52,457 vehicles on average every day.

A year ago, the most heavily traveled Western Pennsylvania bridge in poor condition was the Pennsylvania Turnpike bridge across Plum Creek, according to the American Road and Transportation Builders Association. The bridge was built more than 70 years ago. A wall that helps stabilize the span and guards against erosion has shifted, and the Turnpike has taken steps to stabilize the shoulder.

Turnpike spokesman Crispin Havener said all of the Turnpike bridges are inspected every two years and repairs done as needed. He said the bridge eventually will be replaced as that stretch of the Turnpike is rebuilt. Work is scheduled to begin in 2035, he said.

The problem of deficient bridges was highlighted on Jan. 28, 2022, when the 447-foot-long Fern Hollow Bridge collapsed on the day Mr. Biden came to Pittsburgh to highlight the bipartisan infrastructure law.

Ten people were injured when the bridge, which carries Forbes Avenue over Frick Park, collapsed. The span reopened less than a year later.

A separate study by TRIP, a research group funded in part by construction companies, insurers, engineering firms and labor unions, found that Pennsylvania ranked fifth in the percentage of rural bridges in poor condition. The group said 15% of the spans were structurally deficient.

The group also reported that 19% of the state’s rural roads were in poor condition, 11th highest in the nation.

“The health of the nation’s economy and the safety and quality of life in America’s small communities and rural areas ride on our rural transportation system,” said Dave Kearby, executive director of TRIP.

“Providing the nation with a rural transportation network that supports rural America’s economy and will support its future development will require that the U.S. invest in a rural transportation system that is safe, efficient and well-maintained, and that provides adequate mobility and connectivity to the nation’s rural communities.”