Lee County, IA – The Iowa Department of Transportation says drivers should not worry when traveling over the three bridges in Lee and Des Moines Counties that cross the Mississippi River.
The US Highway 136 Bridge, which connects Keokuk and Hamilton, has a sufficiency rating of 78/100.
The US Highway 34 Bridge between Burlington and Gulfport scores a 64/100 while the Santa Fe Bridge, which links Fort Madison and Niota, is rated 33/100.
While the numbers may not sound high, Assistant Bridge Engineer Gary Novey says sufficiency ratings have to do more with design, width, and traffic count, not necessarily safety.
He says bridges are inspected every two years and these three are definitely safe to drive across.
Novey says the Santa Fe Bridge is privately owned so the state regulates the inspections, but does not conduct them itself.
You can hear more with IDOT Assistant Bridge Engineer Gary Novey by clicking the audio link above.