Most Dangerous Bridges in America (13)

The deadly I-35W Mississippi River bridge collapse in Minnesota alerted many to the poor condition of bridges in the US, but even nearly four years after the accident, there are still thousands of unsafe bridges in operation today. Whether it's poor design, age, or maintenance, hundreds of thousands of Americans drive on potentially dangerous bridges every day. Read on to find out if you're making regular trips on one of them.

1. Harlan Springs Road: Roughly 2,700 cars cross the 1900 Harlan Springs Road bridge in West Virginia, but they can only do it one car at a time due to holes in the deck, missing poles, and corroded railings.
2. Raritan River Bridge: The Raritan River Bridge over the Garden State Parkway tops the Federal Highway Administration's list for most deficient heavily-trafficked bridge, with a rating of only 20.2% efficiency and a daily commuter load of 208,000. The I-35W bridge in Minnesota had a better rating at 50% sufficiency before it collapsed.
3. Lake Shore Drive: Chicago's Lake Shore Drive at Wilson Avenue is traveled by 114,000 people per day, while it crumbles under the weight of its traffic. Instead of making repairs, maintenance crews have installed nets to catch the pieces that fall off.
4. New York's Lee Avenue Bridge: The Lee Avenue Bridge in Brooklyn has a 32% sufficiency rating and has twice been on the urgently repair list. It is one of the top five worst bridges, with a daily commuter load of 202,650.
5. San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, Eastern Span: The original eastern span of the bay bridge had a section collapse during a 1989 earthquake and has had earthquakes as a major concern ever since. A replacement has been under construction since 2002, and earthquake resistance is a major part of the design and construction effort. This concern is not only based on the history of the bridge, but because a major local earthquake would destroy the major cantilever span, while estimates place the likelihood of another major earthquake in the near future at 70%.
6. Grove Avenue Bridge: The Grove Avenue Bridge in New Jersey was built in 1900, rehabbed in 1996, and is still in serious need of repair. It was appraised as structurally deficient with a superstructure condition rating of fair, and a sufficiency rating of 31.7%. The bridge has average daily traffic of 19,924.
7. H Street Bridge: The H Street Bridge in Charleston, Illinois is a timber stringer bridge over railroad tracks. It was built in 1909, with a poor substructure condition rating and a sufficiency rating of 21.8%. With only one lane of traffic permitted, its average daily traffic is 800, low when compared to other dangerous bridges.
8. 110th Street Bridge: Humboldt County, Iowa's 110th Street Bridge crosses the East Fork of the Des Moines River. It's only open to one lane of traffic, and has a very small amount of daily traffic, at just 30 per day. These 30 people are taking a huge risk, as the bridge received a poor rating in every category and received a 19.5% sufficiency rating.
9. 1st Avenue Bridge: In Minot, ND, you'll find a dangerous bridge crossing over Mouse River. With an amazingly low sufficiency rating of 15.4% and a Serious (3 of 9) substructure condition rating, the bridge is only open to pedestrian traffic. It has an average daily traffic of 2,400.
10. South Platte River Bridge: Right next to Invesco Field in Denver, many drivers don't even realize they're on a bridge, much less a dangerous one. This bridge carries a daily commuter load of 208,353 with just a 36% rating.
11. Verrazano Bridge: The Verrazano Bridge is New York's most dangerous bridge, which can't be reassuring for its 170,000 daily travelers. Overall, 12% of New York's bridges were deficient, with 2,088 deficient bridges. Most bridges are designed with a 50-year lifespan, but over 40% of New York bridges are already older than that — and their numbers are growing.
12. Liberty Street Bridge: Jokingly called Death Bridge, the Business 40 bridge that passes over Liberty street is the most dangerous in North Carolina, and it's right in downtown Winston-Salem. It carries 476,000 vehicles a week. Fortunately, it's scheduled to be replaced in 2013.
13. Huey P. Long Bridge: This bridge crossing the Mississippi River in Baton Rouge, Louisiana is in a poor state of repair, with visible hairline cracks. On top of its condition is its danger in inclement weather. It has a tendency to ice, which, when combined with narrow lanes and questionable guardrails, adds up to a dangerous stretch over the river.