1 in 4 Michigan bridges 'Deficient' or 'Obsolete'

A new report paints a dim picture of the bridges that many Michigan motorists use every day.

The Michigan Department of Transportation says one in four of Michigan’s 44 hundred bridges are either "structurally deficient" or "functionally obsolete"

Department spokesman Bill Schreck says despite millions of federal stimulus dollars spent in the past year on road improvements in Michigan problem bridges are still in need of repair. 

"Even with matching federal aid, we are $320 million short a year just to keep MDot designated roads in their current condition," says Schreck. 

Schreck says the number of problem bridges in Michigan will likely grow as state budget cuts make it harder for obsolete and deficient bridges to be repaired or replaced.