A new report released this month says Oregon has 439 structurally deficient bridges.
Chris Rall, Pacific Northwest field organizer for the lobbyist group Transportation of America, said the bridges need to be repaired or replaced soon.
He said Oregon has a fairly large number of deficient bridges, but also said they're inspected regularly and aren't expected to fall down.
"These bridges are located in areas urban and rural and serve as critical links in moving people to work and goods to market each day," according to the Transportation for America report.
Rall said there are four key factors for funding the repairs.
"One, is we need more funding both from the state and the federal level. Two, we have to focus that funding — or a lot of it at any rate — on state of repair. No. 3, we need to make sure we get the most bang for the buck in terms of investing in the smartest places. And four we need to make sure that local jurisdictions have access to funding so that they can fix local bridges," he said.
Linn County has the highest percentage of deficient bridges in the state. The county has 556 bridges, and 84 of them are deemed deficient by the report. Benton County had the lowest percentage. It has 185 bridges and only three are considered deficient.
Rall said he believes fixing transportation can save money for future generations.
"Just like you would want to keep your roof fixed on your house so that you don't have to do greater repairs," said Rall, "if we can stay on top of the maintenance of our bridges, it's going to save money for our children and grandchildren."
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