DETROIT – The Interstate 75 bridge over the Rouge River has been deemed "structurally deficient" by the Michigan Department of Transportation, but what exactly does that mean?
MDOT says the nearly 50-year-old bridge needs about $80 million in repairs. Calling it "structurally deficient" means it's bad, but not bad enough to shut it down.
"If MDOT thought the bridge was unsafe in any situation, any location, any reason, it would be closed. The term 'deficient' is actually an engineering term. It's a category in which bridges are rated," said MDOT spokeswoman Diane Cross.
The bridge carries more than 100,000 vehicles on four lanes of traffic in both directions each day. It's known for being littered with potholes.
MDOT says the needed repairs are as many as two years away because of a lack of funding. The funding shortage makes it impossible to replace the bridge sooner. The starting cost for a new bridge is $300 million.
"It is a constant patchwork. We put bandages on areas that need surgery. We've kind of been doing a little bit of saving up and planning on our future budget that we expect in 2017 we'll be able to have that $80 million to replace the deck surface that you drive on. That will then buy us maybe another 20 years," said Cross.
MDOT officials say drivers need to avoid distractions while driving, which should help with avoiding the potholes.