HARRISBURG, PA — Pennsylvania Auditor General Timothy L. DeFoor has called for the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) to enhance its bridge inspection procedures. His comments highlight the need for timely, consistent, and transparent reporting, especially for bridges in poor condition or at risk of failure.
“I am here to tell you as an auditor that processes matter,” said Auditor General DeFoor. “It’s important for our safety and the investment of our tax dollars that all bridge inspection reports are consistent, filed on time, and the qualifications of the teams doing the inspections are readily available.”
DeFoor emphasized that a bridge rated in poor condition is not necessarily at risk of immediate failure. However, he stressed the importance of taking steps to repair or replace these structures while they remain safe for use.
The audit conducted by DeFoor’s office had three primary goals:
- Understand the inspection process for state-owned bridges rated as being in poor condition.
- Evaluate PennDOT’s compliance with laws, regulations, and standards for inspecting these bridges.
- Assess adherence to PennDOT’s policies for responding to bridges in critical or imminent failure conditions.
The audit resulted in seven findings and 24 recommendations. These recommendations aim to ensure PennDOT follows its policies consistently concerning the timing, content, and dissemination of bridge inspection reports.
“There is a path forward to correct these issues, and for the most part, PennDOT agreed,” DeFoor added. “PennDOT is working to reduce the number of bridges in poor condition by repairing or replacing them as time and tax dollars allow.”
Pennsylvania ranks third in the nation for the number of bridges, with PennDOT responsible for inspecting roughly 25,400 state-owned structures. These bridges average more than 50 years old. During the audit period from July 1, 2020, to May 10, 2023, nearly $1.2 billion was allocated to rehab and replace these aging structures.
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