State Needs Billions to Fix Deficient Bridge

Hundreds of bridges in Connecticut are structurally deficient and officials said the state will need to spend billions of dollars in the coming years on the aging spans.

Connecticut has more than 500 structurally deficient bridges that need rehabilitation or replacement because at least one major component has advanced deterioration or other problems.

More than 200 bridges in Connecticut are "fracture critical" because they don't have redundant protections and are at risk of collapse if a single, vital component fails.

Records show Connecticut has 49 bridges that are both structurally deficient and fracture critical, a combination of red flags that experts said is particularly problematic. But a spokesman for the Connecticut Department of Transportation said the bridges are safe and wouldn't be kept open if they posed a safety risk.