America has a critical bridge infrastructure problem! At least 221,800 bridges throughout the U.S. need major repair or replacement. Nationwide, more than 42,000 bridges are currently classified as structurally deficient, and time is running out to address the country’s bridge problems. New bridge projects are proliferating rapidly. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law earmarked $40 billion over five years to address the backlog of bridge work, but the bridge infrastructure is so critical, many states and local governmental entities are using other capital investment options as well.
Bridge projects have long lead times because they are large and complex. They require planning, permitting, and environmental studies along with what is often a prolonged search for private sector contracting partners. Specialized expertise is required for early design work, environmental reviews, access planning, utility relocation, traffic-phasing strategies, and long-term performance guarantees. Private sector partners occasionally bring all or part of the necessary capital along with highly customized delivery models, risk-management models, and innovation. As the volume of structurally deficient bridges remains high and the pipeline of replacement projects grows, that private-sector capacity will be central to achieving safety, mobility and value-for-dollars over the next decade.
An upcoming $311.6 million bridge project in South Carolina will be overseen by a partnership between the state’s Department of Transportation and officials in Beaufort County. The objective for bridge replacement effort is to consolidate two ageing structures along US 278. Both bridges provide crossings over Mackay and Skull Creeks, and the project will be designed to consolidate them into a single modern structure.
The new bridge will feature two travel lanes with wide shoulders on both sides. The extra width will create space for emergency vehicles and provide room for future expansion as traffic volumes increase. The project will also incorporate several access improvements, construction of another smaller bridge, the installation of new ramps, and remediation of several local roads. The new structure and its roadway connections will improve emergency response times, reduce congestion, and improve long-term mobility along the critical corridor. The project is currently undergoing planning and preliminary design. Environmental reviews and engineering will progress through 2025 and 2026, and construction is slated for early 2028.
Officials in Boston, Massachusetts are weighing new plans for the century-old Northern Avenue Bridge, which has been closed to vehicles and pedestrians for more than a decade. The existing structure will be dismantled to improve safety and reduce environmental hazards. Crews will cut the steel truss, move it by barge to an isolated site for disassembly, remove the lead paint, and repair the piers.
The city is evaluating two replacement options with different projected costs, but both are projected to cost more than $100 million. The first option would rebuild the bridge as a multimodal crossing that preserves the bridge’s historic elements and prioritizes pedestrians and cyclists. The second would combine a pedestrian bridge with a flood-control system that could manage harbor water flow by adjusting floodgates. Demolition work is scheduled for 2026, but the city has not yet decided on the reconstruction approach. Both concepts require substantial new design work, and Boston’s city leaders have allocated $46 million so far. Selection of either plan will require more capital investment. Solicitations for design work and construction will be issued once a decision is made on which option will be selected.
City officials in Bradenton, Florida, are planning to replace a bridge that spans the Manatee River. The project is necessary to address long-term mobility, safety, and capacity needs. The replacement bridge will modernize the existing crossing and provide a more resilient structure capable of accommodating the city’s escalating traffic demands. The project will deliver four 12-foot travel lanes, with two lanes in each direction. Planning documents currently outline 10-foot inside shoulders and 12-foot outside shoulders which will give motorists adequate space to pull out of ongoing traffic in emergency situations. The project will also incorporate a 12-foot barrier-separated shared-use path for cyclists and pedestrians designed to create a safe and more accessible connection across the river.
The project’s projected cost is approximately $172.8 million. Construction is expected to begin in 2027 and potentially continue for three years. To minimize disruptions, construction will begin immediately east of the existing bridge to provide travel space and accessibility during construction.
In Bridgeport, Connecticut, a $57.6 million city-led project will replace the demolished Congress Street Bridge. The project’s objective will be to rebuild an essential structure to link the city’s downtown area and its East Side. Local officials confirmed in November of 2025 that the city will receive federal funding support. The state has also committed to helping fund the project because the bridge is needed to open up the city, modernize an aging crossing, improve safety, and ensure sustainability.
The new bridge project will include rebuilding the approach roads, updating surrounding utilities, constructing a modern movable span over the Pequannock River, and improving bicycle and pedestrian access throughout the corridor. When completed, the bridge will reconnect several neighborhoods that have had no convenient access to the access to the downtown area for more than two decades.
Currently, the project is in the pre-construction planning stage, and solicitations will be released as soon as these activities are completed and when the federal funding reaches city officials. This will be the second release of contracting solicitation documents for the project because all contracting proposals were rejected in 2022. Since then, design work has been altered, and more funding has been secured. Citizens are eager to have this effort started but the actual construction could be delayed until early 2027.
In short, bridge projects have long timelines but interested contracting firms should begin pursuit strategies and local involvement as soon as it is known that funding is available for the upcoming work.
Photo by Michael Rocha from Pexels
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