An accelerated re-inspection of major state bridges over the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers has been finished. It began last February after problems were found with the superstructure of a couple of bridges. Transportation Department crews have looked carefully at what’s underneath the pavement on three dozen bridges. State bridge maintenance engineer Carl Callahan says the news is generally good, with no major problems. He says inspections will be stepped up in the Kansas City area, on the Randolph Bridge that carries I-435 across the Missouri River. But he says the inspections have not shown a need to speed up the replacement schedule for any of the bridges. The average bridge in Missouri is 46 years old. In addition to the 36 that have been inspected in the last three months or so, there are 13 other major bridges across the big rivers. But they are controlled by other states or agencies. Callahan says inspections are being run on those structures, too, but by other agencies or states.
