Iowa has the highest percentage of rural bridges rated in poor or structurally deficient condition in the United States, according to a new report from TRIP, a national transportation nonprofit organization. 

Twenty-one percent of Iowa’s rural bridges are rated in poor/structurally deficient condition, well above the nationwide average of 8%. Bridges rated poor/structurally deficient have significant deterioration to the major components of the bridge and are often posted for lower weight or closed to traffic, restricting or redirecting large vehicles, including agricultural equipment, commercial trucks, school buses and emergency services vehicles. Five percent of Iowa’s rural roads are rated poor, and 14% are in mediocre condition.