NTSB Says 5 Philadelphia Area Bridges Need Collapse Risk Evaluations

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has said that five local bridges need to be evaluated for the level of collapse risk, according to CBS News.

I'm sure I'm not alone when I gasped after hearing this news.

It sounds worse than it is. Keep reading so I can fill you in.

The NTSB has asked sixty-eight bridges in 19 U.S. states top be looked at to determine its collapse risk.

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That's so scary to think about, isn't it?

Five of those sixty-eight bridges are in the Philadelphia area.

The bridges are:

Ben Franklin Bridge (built in 1926)

Delaware River Turnpike Bridge (built in 1956)

Walt Whitman Bridge (built in 1957)

Commodore Barry Bridge (built in 1974)

Betsy Ross Bridge (built in 1976)

Three of the five bridges were labeled as "critical/essential" in the report.

Before you freak out, let me explain.

Just because these bridges made the NTSB list doesn't mean they're going to collapse any time soon.

If you drive over any of these bridges regularly, you don't need to find a new route.

The bridges are not unsafe

The NTSB Chair, Jennifer Homendy, says, "What we are telling bridge owners is that they need to know the risks and determine what actions they need to take to ensure safety. I believe that they are very safe. We are very confident in the actions that we have taken to minimize hazards and risks."

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The bridges need to meet the acceptable level of risk for the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials.

The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission released a statement saying, "We just received this NTSB report and will be thoroughly reviewing it over the coming days. Safety is the Pennsylvania Turnpike's top priority, and we are committed to advancing safety in all aspects of our operations."

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