By now you’ve heard about the bridge collapsing in Minneapolis. Terrible thing that could have been prevented by tax dollars being put to the right use: fixing a deficient bridge.

Tacoma Narrows bridge, new toll bridge shortly before opening in July 2007 (does old bridge need work?)

[sigh]

Today my RSS reader carries me the sobering news that 20 bridges in our area alone — Pierce County — are in need of repair. One or two that I’ll probably be near and possibly crossing today. Um, not.

According to the federal data, 381 Washington bridges were structurally deficient as of 2006. That’s more than 5 percent of the more than 7,500 bridges in the state. Nationally, about 12 percent of bridges are structurally deficient.

Get that if you live in the US, there’s a 12% chance some of the bridges in your neighborhood need work too. This is comforting. Not.

Fix them. Please.