The State : Bridges Found Deficient

More than one-fourth of California’s bridges have been classified by federal officials as structurally deficient or obsolete, but state Department of Transportation spokesman Chuck Mastin said the bridges are “all in good shape” and there is no reason to worry. He said Caltrans inspects them yearly and immediately makes repairs if needed. Federal transportation officials agreed that designating a bridge deficient in the federal inventory does not necessarily mean it is unsafe for routine traffic, but only that it is not strong enough to carry the loads for which it was designed. On the other hand, the New York Thruway bridge that collapsed into a swollen river last Sunday, apparently taking 10 lives, recently had been inspected and judged in good shape.