More than 1 in 3 bridges in the Garden State is deficient. Watch video
WASHINGTON -- New Jersey last year was once again one of the 10 worst states in the nation in the percentage of deficient bridges as more than one-third of Garden State spans are in need of attention, Federal Highway Administration statistics show.
The state counted 2,310 bridges that needed repairs, were inadequate to handle their traffic loads or did not meet current safety standards at the end of 2015. That was 34.5 percent of New Jersey's 6,686 bridges.
Only seven states had a greater percentage of deficient bridges.
Nationally, 23.2 percent of bridges in the 50 states were rated as deficient, according to the FHWA statistics that run through Dec. 31.
However, the Garden State did reduce its number of deficient bridges by 33 during the year. And New Jersey's standing did improve a bit: In 2014, the state was sixth worst on the national list.
The stats also showed that seven of the 10 states with the highest percentage of deficient bridges were located in the Northeast, including Pennsylvania and New York, which fared worse than New Jersey.
From 2015: How bad are N.J. bridges?
"That is certainly a reason to act," said Assembly Transportation Committee Chairman John Wisniewski (D-Middlesex), who has proposed a gas tax increase to replenish the state's Transportation Trust Fund. "If you drive on any road in New Jersey, you would quickly understand the need for improvements."
Gov. Chris Christie and the state legislature are debating how to raise money for the depleted trust fund, which only has enough cash to pay debt on existing bonds.
In his proposed budget, Christie didn't propose anything, and said he was waiting for "realistic proposals and for a legitimate discussion on tax fairness, not just tax hikes."
He repeated that on Thursday. "If that is their solution to the problem, put it up and vote on it," he said. "They don't have to wait for me."
The average bridge in the state is more than 50 years old, and that, combined with heavy traffic loads, lots of trucks, and harsh winters, means the state "will always have a high number of bridges that are rated as either structurally deficient or functionally obsolete," state Transportation Department spokesman Steve Schapiro said.
"New Jersey is the most densely populated and congested state in the nation and our roads and bridges are among the oldest in the nation, which requires more extensive work to maintain," Schapiro said.
Deficient bridges aren't about to collapse. New Jersey inspects its spans of 20 feet or more at least once every two years, and closes lanes or the entire bridge of those deemed unsafe until emergency repairs are made.
This month, state officials reopened the U.S. Route 206 bridge over Stony Brook in Princeton, the oldest span in New Jersey, following emergency repairs. The bridge had been closed after inspectors found cracks in the stone arches and indications that soil around the footings had been washed away. The bridge is limited to vehicles under 20 tons.
State officials temporarily closed one eastbound lane of the Route 3 bridge over the Hackensack River in January 2015, and the entire Somerset County Route 514/Amwell Road Bridge over the Delaware & Raritan Canal that same month.
The most heavily traveled bridge needing repairs, according to the American Road & Transportation Builders Association, is the Garden State Parkway's Mill Road bridge in Union County, which carries almost 200,000 motorists a day.
Construction work also is needed on two other heavily used parkway bridges in Essex County: one over the Third River and one over the Second River, each carrying around 180,000 vehicles daily, according to the Washington-based construction industry group.
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New Jersey's 34.5 percent of deficient bridges is well above the best state (Minnesota, with 8.9 percent deficient bridges) and well below worst (Rhode Island, with 56 percent).
A year ago, New Jersey's bridges were the sixth worst in the nation, with 2,343, or 35.5 percent, of 6,609 structures rated as deficient.
Since then, the condition of the state's spans have gotten somewhat better due to what Schapiro called "a robust bridge rehabilitation and replacement program," while Alaska's and West Virginia's bridges have gotten worse.
Nevertheless, New Jersey spent just 1.4 percent of its Gross State Product on capital projects in 2013, fifth lowest among the 50 states, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a Washington-based research group.
The question of raising the state's gas tax, second lowest in the nation, is expected to dominate this year's state budget process. Wisniewski has introduced legislation to raise the 14.5 cents a gallon state gas tax by 25 cents.
"A gas tax at the end of the day is one of the most efficient ways of making sure that all users are paying for our roads, not just New Jersey taxpayers," said Cathleen Lewis, a spokeswoman for the AAA New Jersey Automobile Club.
Not everyone is enamored with the idea of a higher gasoline tax.
"We certainly want it fixed but not at the expense of higher taxes, which will hurt our economy," said Mike Proto, spokesman for Americans for Prosperity New Jersey, the state chapter of the national advocacy group tied to energy executives Charles and David Koch.
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On the federal level, Congress passed a five-year, $305 billion surface transportation bill with a small increase in funding. The bill provides New Jersey with $5.3 billion for highways and $3.1 billion for transit over the next five years, according to U.S. Rep. Albio Sires (D-8th Dist.), a member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.
"We're not investing enough," said Alison Premo Black, ARTBA's chief economist. "Right now, we tend to talk about modest increases in funding. It's really not enough to move the needle."
Jonathan D. Salant may be reached at jsalant@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JDSalant. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook