SM Has 3 'Structurally Deficient' Bridges

Attention is turning to the state of infrastructure in the United States following President Barack Obama's unveiling of his American Jobs Act during a joint session of Congress on Thursday night. According to one group, Santa Monica is home to some of the bridges and transit systems that are in need of modernizing.

Among the proposals presented in the American Jobs Act is "modernizing our roads, rail, airports and waterways while putting hundreds of thousands of workers back on the job," according to the Fact Sheet released by the White House's Office of the Press Secretary on Thursday.

The act also calls for the modernization of 35,000 public schools; expanding access to high-speed wireless; and a Project Rebuild program that would "put people to work rehabilitating homes, businesses and communities."

On Friday, Obama began pushing the plan by visiting cities and towns throughout the country. He is speaking to constituents and citing local bridges, schools and transit systems that he says are in need of upgrades.

Some of the thousands of bridges and transit systems in need of repair are located in Santa Monica, according to Transportation America. TA is a coalition of city officials, environmental groups, realty agencies and other groups that are aiming to modernize infrastructure across the U.S. The coalition includes Santa Monica Mayor , members Terry O'Day and Pam O'Connor, as well as the Natural Resources Defense Council, which has an office in Santa Monica.

A guide featured on t4america.org highlights 17 bridges in Santa Monica and states three of them are "structurally deficient." That means while the bridges aren't necessarily unsafe, they "require significant maintenance, rehabilitation or replacement."

The guide also includes inspector ratings for a bridge's three primary components: the deck, which directly carries the vehicles; the substructure, which supports the deck; and the superstructure, which connects the bridge to the ground.

Inspectors rate each component on a scale of 1 to 10, according to TA. If any of the three components receives a rating of 4 or lower, the bridge is deemed "structurally deficient."

Santa Monica's three structurally deficient bridges, according to TA, are:

• The California Incline: Built in 1930, the incline serves an average of 9,920 cars per day. Last inspected in April 2008, it received a rating of 6 for its deck, 4 for its substructure and 5 for its superstructure.

• Appian Way bridge: The bridge, located just north of the Los Angeles County Lifeguard station near , was built in 1939 and serves an average of 720 cars per day. Last inspected in April 2008, it received a rating of 4 for its deck, 7 for its substructure and 5 for its superstructure.

• Cloverfield Boulevard bridge: The bridge, which crosses the 10 freeway, was built in 1963 and serves an average of 24,870 cars per day. Last inspected in July 2008, it received a rating of 4 for its deck, 6 for its substructure and 7 for its superstructure.

Santa Monica's other 14 bridges have been deemed in "good condition," which means that significant maintenance, rehabilitation or replacement is not needed.

Bridges aren't the only infrastructure elements in need of upgrading in Santa Monica, according to TA. Its interactive feature "Mapping the Transit Funding Crisis," which underscores cutbacks being made to nationwide transit systems despite increases in usage, highlights the system. Noted on the map is the BBB's increase in fares in 2010 (from 75 cents to $1 per trip) and the cuts in service the previous year.

Along with bridges and a public-transit system in apparent need of upgrading, Santa Monica is also home to schools that could be in need of repair. According to a California Watch investigation published on Santa Monica Patch in April, nine schools may be in danger of an earthquake. Go here to read more about the investigation's findings.