Delegate Susan Aumann was interviewed by Fox 45 in early October regarding the findings of recent Susquehanna River bridge inspections.  The two bridges that raised the most concern were Interstate 95 and Route 40.  These inspections discovered advanced water erosion (scour) around the pilings.  The bridge inspectors were asked to ramp up their inspection timeline due to the tragic bridge collapse in Minneapolis.  As a member of the Transportation and Environment Subcommittee, Delegate Aumann was asked how the State, with its $2+ billion dollar deficit was going to afford fixing new safety issues in light of the mounting rehabilitation projects currently on the Transportation Authority’s priority list.

The delegate said lessons learned from the Minneapolis tragedy and other bridge failures around the country compel us to redouble efforts to inspect these critical structures.  With the new information about the Susquehanna bridges, the Transportation Authority has moved the projects to the top of the list.  Coupled with the deterioration found on the Route 90 Bridge in Ocean City, which has resulted in its closure for several months, the importance of inspections becomes even more pronounced.  Transportation safety is a vital component of government’s responsibility to its citizens.

All of the identified repairs will be completed on the fastest schedule possible and the State will find the financial resources needed to complete the projects.  Since some of the effected roads are federal highways, the State will partner with the U.S. Department of Transportation to fully fund the repairs

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