Charlie Smith
OVER half of Spain’s 66 bridges with ‘serious safety problems’ are in Andalucia, government data has revealed.
The 66 bridges represent 0.29% of the 23,000 structures managed by the state, including underpasses, overpasses and viaducts.
Bridges’ safety are scored out of 100 and those that receive 81 or more points are described as having ‘potentially serious defects that could affect their resistant behaviour’.
Andalucia has 34 bridges in this category, followed by Galicia with 10 and Castilla y León with nine.
Of the total, 17 bridges have been repaired, while one has been torn down, as it was located on a B-road and no longer needed.
The investigation into Spain’s bridges by El Pais found that between 2009 and 2014, no money was spent on repairs.
Between 2014 and October of this year the government spent €116 million on structures that ‘represented a serious danger’.
A Public Works Ministry spokesperson said that most structures had recently undergone repairs and none were in danger of collapse.
A database called ‘Bridge Management System’, which details inspections, problems and corrective measures was shown to El Pais.
