A new study finds that 260 million people a day cross bridges in the USA that are structurally deficient. 
 
 A collapsed section of the Interstate 5 bridge over the Skagit River is seen in an aerial view on May 24 in Mount Vernon, Wash. (Photo: Mike Siegel, AP) Story Highlights Federal Highway Administration estimates repairs would cost $76 billion 
 
 Average age of the structurally deficient bridges is 65 years old 
 
 One expert says: 'We've never had a better bridge system" 
 
 More than one in nine bridges in the USA — at least 66,405, or 11% of the total — are structurally deficient, according to a new report. 
 
 These are not rarely used, out-of-the way structures: Each day, Americans take 260 million trips over structurally deficient bridges, says the report from Transportation for America, a Washington, D.C.-based coalition that works to improve transportation. 
 
 The report comes less than a month after the May 23 collapse of a span of the Interstate 5 bridge over the Skagit River in Washington state. Part of the bridge collapsed when it was struck by a truck with an oversize load. That bridge, built in 1955, was not structurally deficient. 
 
 The structurally deficient bridges are 65 years old on average, and the Federal Highway Administration estimates that repairing them would cost $76 billion. 
 
 A structurally deficient bridge isn't necessarily one that's dangerous or about to collapse; rather, they are bridges that require significant maintenance, rehabilitation or replacement. 
 
 A truck is removed May 27 from the wreckage of an Interstate 5 bridge over the Skagit River in Mount Vernon, Wash. That bridge, which was built in 1955 and collapsed May 23, was not structurally deficient. (Photo: Washington State Department of Transportation via AP) 
 
 The repair bill will likely increase as many of the nation's most heavily traveled bridges, including those built as part of the interstate system, near the end of their expected life spans. "You're seeing the aging of the system," says David Goldberg, a co-author of the report. "It really does parallel the (aging of) the Baby Boomers in a startling way." 
 
 This is a problem that has worsened since Transportation for America's last report on bridges, in 2011: Fifteen states have seen an increase in their structurally deficient bridges. The report projects that in 10 years, one in four bridges will be 65 years old or older. 
 
 In the two-year federal transportation funding bill it passed last year, Congress eliminated a dedicated fund for bridge repair. "The upshot is that bridge repair now must compete with other transportation needs," the report says. Money previously targeted for bridge repair was rolled into a new National Highway Performance Program, which can be spent only on highways that are part of the National Highway System, which includes interstates and major state highways. Nearly 90% of structurally deficient bridges are not part of the National Highway System. 
 
 Transportation for America recommends that Congress raise new dedicated revenues for transportation programs including bridges; that 180,000 bridges be made eligible for the new funding program, and that repair of bridges and highways be made a national priority. 
 
 Not everyone is alarmed over the state of the nation's bridges. "From my perspective, we've never had a better bridge system than we have right now," says David Hartgen, senior fellow at the libertarian Reason Foundation who co-authored a February report on the condition of roads and bridges in the USA. "The overall system is getting better slowly and steadily over time" as states work to improve their roads and bridges. 
 
 Hartgen, emeritus professor of transportation studies at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, says it's good that more responsibility for repairing bridges is shifted from the federal government to the states. "The states are closer to the problem," he says. "I'm not overly pessimistic about the funding picture. At the state level, there is more willingness to raise state taxes for bridges." 
 
 Read or Share this story: http://usat.ly/11XSsQ1 ||||| Elaine Thompson / AP The north end of the Interstate 5 bridge crossing the Skagit River lies collapsed in the water on Friday, in Mount Vernon, Wash. A truck carrying an oversize load struck the four-lane bridge on the major thoroughfare between Seattle and Canada, sending a section of the span and two vehicles into the Skagit River below Thursday evening. All three occupants suffered only minor injuries. At an overnight news conference, Washington State Patrol Chief John Batiste blamed the collapse on a tractor-trailer carrying a tall load that hit an upper part of the span. 
 
 The Washington state bridge collapse that spilled two cars into the Skagit River could give Americans pause as they hit the roads for Memorial Day holiday travel. 
 
 With good reason. 
 
 This weekend, millions will cross 66,000 bridges that the federal government has deemed "structurally deficient," meaning key elements are in poor condition. 
 
 The Federal Highway Administration hastens to note that label doesn't mean they are unsafe or in danger of collapse, but transportation advocates say it highlights a growing crisis of aging infrastructure, deferred maintenance and rebuilding, and design flaws. 
 
 "We don't expect an epidemic of collapses — that's the extreme," said Dan Goldberg, communications director for Transportation for America, a coalition that identified the busiest deficient bridges in the nation in a 2011 report. 
 
 "We are going to see probably some more of this, but the more likely scenario is contending with the issues of decay that happen before the collapse." 
 
 Big potholes, weight restrictions and lane closings are some of the inconveniences bridge users face unless reconstruction and replacement is ramped up across the nation, Goldberg said. 
 
 The Interstate 5 bridge in Mount Vernon, Wash., which apparently crumpled after being hit by an oversized truck, was not on the Federal Highway Administration's structurally-deficient list. 
 
 Famed spans aren't the problem. San Francisco's Golden Gate, for instance, is in pretty good shape. The Brooklyn Bridge is undergoing a massive rehabilitation project to correct its deficiencies. 
 
 But hundreds of less glamorous bridges — many of them generic overpasses that take commuters over cross streets or other highways — remain vulnerable. 
 
 Here are six crossings, together used by more than 1 million vehicles each day, that don't make the grade: 
 
 Maryland DOT A view of I-695 crossing over Liberty Road in Maryland in August 2012. 
 
 I-76 over Klemm Ave. in Gloucester, N.J.: The deck and superstructure are in poor condition on this 11-lane interstate overpass that dates to 1956. More than 191,000 vehicles use it every day, and $30 million has been earmarked for deck replacement. 
 
 IS-695 over Milford Mill Road in Baltimore, Md.: Built in 1961 and reconstructed in 1979, this eight-lane overpass on the Baltimore Beltway has a deck and substructure in poor condition. But good news for nearly 190,000 vehicles that cross each day: It will be replaced in a two-year project starting this summer. 
 
 Halona St. Bridge in Honolulu, Hawaii: Built in 1938, this slab bridge over the Kapalama Canal is not slated for replacement until 2019. Some 184,000 vehicles travel the two-lane crossing, which has a deck and substructure in poor condition. 
 
 Colorado DOT A view of the I-70 bridge over Havana Street in Denver, Colo. E-17-JP 
 
 I-70 over Havana St. in Denver, Colo.: This 10-lane structure, which has a deck and substructure in poor condition, is slated for a rebuild in the next few years. Built in 1964 and reconstructed in 1978, it services 183,000 vehicles a day. 
 
 I-278 approach to the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge in Staten Island, N.Y.: On an average day, 182,700 vehicles take this overpass to a majestic double-decker bridge. The substructure of the two-lane approach, built in 1961, is in poor condition. 
 
 I-95 over Hendricks Ave. in Jacksonville, Fla.: The deck is in poor condition on this nine-lane section of interstate that handles 121,000 vehicles a day. Built in 1959 and reconstructed in 1989, it is undergoing a replacement. 
 
 Source: Information about the structures was compiled by Nationalbridges.com, a website that analyzes data in the Federal Highway Administration's national bridge inventory. ||||| I-5 bridge collapse captured on security video 
 
 Security video captures the collapse of the I-5 bridge into the Skagit River. 
 
 captures the collapse of the I-5 bridge into the Skagit River. Governor Jay Inslee said Friday federal transportation officials were helping find a temporary structure known as a Bailey bridge to span the 160-feet of missing section of bridge. 
 
 The Canadian trucking company involved in a Washington state bridge collapse says it received a state-issued permit to carry its oversized load across the bridge. 
 
 An emergency proclamation from Inslee said the estimated cost to repair the bridge is $15 million. 
 
 Inslee also declared a state of emergency in Skagit, Whatcom, and Snohomish Counties because of the impact on citizens. 
 
 Three people and their vehicles went into the water; all survived. 
 
 Detours are in place, but drivers are urged to avoid the area. 
 
 MOUNT VERNON, Wash. -- Security video from a RV dealership in Mount Vernon captured Thursday night's Interstate 5 bridge collapse into the Skagit River and the events that led up to it. 
 
 Robin Brigge, service manager at Blade Chevrolet and RV, said the 3 to 4 seconds of video taken around 6:55 p.m. from their security camera system shows a truck with a big box structure going over the bridge, then the span collapsing moments later. 
 
 "You see (the truck) hook the girder...he's on the freeway doing 55 mph, " said Brigge. "You can watch the bridge tumble into the river." 
 
 Brigge said when they realized their security camera had captured the footage, he immediately contacted state transportation officials, who spent a lengthy time examining the video Thursday night. 
 
 Washington Governor Jay Inslee said federal transportation officials are helping find a temporary structure to span the 160-foot section of an Interstate 5 bridge that collapsed, paralyzing the main north-south corridor between Seattle and Canada. 
 
 "There is a possibility we can use what's known as a Bailey bridge, which was something that was built and developed in World War II to span this 160-foot section," Inslee said during a Friday news conference. "We are searching the entire country right now, trying to find a Bailey bridge that might be able to provide us with a temporary span." 
 
 The detours through Mount Vernon have significantly slowed traffic through the area and options are few. Some possible routes include narrow roads and bridges that are in worse shape than the one in the river. 
 
 "We are focused like laser beams on detours at the moment," said Inslee. 
 
 Federal officials have promised to send $1 million to Washington immediately to pay for emergency repairs on the Skagit River bridge. Inslee declared a disaster proclamation, estimating bridge repairs costs at $15 million. 
 
 
 
 Inslee said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood promised his full support to get Washington's main north-south roadway repaired as quickly as possible. An average of 71,000 vehicles a day use that stretch of I-5 through Skagit County. 
 
 The collapse happened around 7 p.m. Thursday on the north part of the four-lane Interstate 5 bridge near Mount Vernon, about 60 miles north of Seattle. It sent a section of the span and two vehicles into the Skagit River below, though all three occupants suffered only minor injuries. 
 
 Inslee declared a state of emergency for Skagit, Snohomish and Whatcom counties due to the impact on resident. 
 
 PHOTOS: Photos of I-5 bridge collapse over Skagit River 
 
 Initially, it wasn't clear if the bridge just gave way on its own. But at an overnight news conference, Washington State Patrol Chief John Batiste blamed it on a tractor-trailer carrying a tall load that hit an upper part of the span. 
 
 The truck made it off the bridge and the driver remained at the scene and cooperated with investigators. Two other vehicles went into the water about 25 feet below as the structure crumbled. The three people were rescued and were recovering Friday. 
 
 
 
 "For reasons unknown at this point in time, the semi struck the overhead of the bridge causing the collapse," he said. 
 
 The trucking company involved says it received a state-issued permit to carry its oversized load across the bridge. 
 
 Alternate I-5 routes through Mount Vernon 
 
 
 
 Ed Scherbinski, vice president of Mullen Trucking in Alberta, told the Associated Press the Washington State Department of Transportation had approved of the company's plan to drive a piece of drilling equipment along Interstate 5 to Vancouver, Wash. 
 
 He also said the company hired a local escort to help navigate the route. He said the driver was well-experienced with handling oversized loads. 
 
 
 
 "This is what we do for a living. We pride ourselves in doing things the proper way," said Scherbinski 
 
 
 
 Mike Allende, a state DOT spokesman, confirmed the truck had its permit. 
 
 
 
 "We're still trying to figure out why it hit the bridge," he said. "It's ultimately up to the trucking company to figure out whether it can get through. It's their responsibility to make sure the load they have can travel on that route." 
 
 Washington State Patrol said the truck was carrying a large steel box that contained drill parts and the box struck the bridge girders. 
 
 
 
 Scherbinski said company officials are as bewildered as everyone else. He said he's not sure whether the Mullen Trucking vehicle was the cause of the collapse, but the driver could see the bridge falling in his rearview mirror. 
 
 WATCH: Witness recounts oversized truck strike bridge 
 
 The truck made it off the bridge and the driver remained at the scene and cooperated with investigators. The driver has been identified as a 42-year-old man from Alberta, Canada. He was driving for Mullen Trucking. Trooper Mark Francis told the Skagit Valley Herald that the truck was hauling drilling equipment. 
 
 
 
 Cynthia Scott, of Spruce Grove, Alberta, said she spoke with her husband moments after he saw the bridge fall into a river in his rear-view mirror. Cynthia Scott said there was a small ding in one of the front corners of the load. 
 
 
 
 Dave Chesson, a state DOT spokesman, said there were no signs leading up to the bridge warning about its clearance height. 
 
 
 
 Traffic could be affected for some time. The bridge is used by an average of 71,000 vehicles a day, so the roadblock will cause a major disruption in trade and tourism between Seattle and Vancouver, British Columbia. 
 
 
 
 Detours have been set up to try to ease the congestion. Batiste urged drivers to avoid the area if possible, especially over the Memorial Day weekend. 
 
 Dan Sligh and his wife were in their pickup on Interstate 5 heading to a camping trip when a bridge before them disappeared in a "big puff of dust.” 
 
 
 
 "I hit the brakes and we went off," Sligh told reporters from a hospital, adding he "saw the water approaching ... you hold on as tight as you can.” 
 
 
 
 Sligh, his wife and another man in a different vehicle were dumped into the chilly waters of the Skagit River. 
 
 
 
 Sligh and his wife were taken to Skagit Valley Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The other man was reported in stable condition at United General Hospital in Sedro-Woolley, hospital CEO Greg Reed said. 
 
 
 
 Sligh said his shoulder was dislocated in the drop into the water, and he found himself "belly deep in water in the truck." He said he popped his shoulder back in and called out to his wife, who he described as being in shock initially as they waited for rescuers to arrive in boats. 
 
 
 
 The bridge was inspected twice last year and repairs were made, Transportation Secretary Lynn Peterson said. 
 
 
 
 "It's an older bridge that needs a lot of work just like a good number of bridges around the state," she said. 
 
 
 
 The National Transportation Safety Board was sending an investigative team. 
 
 
 
 Jeremiah Thomas, a volunteer firefighter, said he was driving nearby when he glimpsed something out of the corner of his eye and turned to look. 
 
 
 
 "The bridge just went down, it crashed through the water," he said. "It was really surreal.” 
 
 
 
 Deyerin said the water depth was about 15 feet, and the vehicles half-visible in the water likely were resting on portions of the collapsed bridge. 
 
 
 
 Crowds of people lined the river to watch the scene unfold. 
 
 Bridge listed as 'functionally obsolete' 
 
 The bridge is not considered structurally deficient but is listed as being "functionally obsolete" - a category meaning that their design is outdated, such as having narrow shoulders or low clearance underneath, according to a database compiled by the Federal Highway Administration. 
 
 
 
 The bridge was built in 1955 and has a sufficiency rating of 57.4 out of 100, according to federal records. That is well below the statewide average rating of 80, according to an Associated Press analysis of federal data, but 759 bridges in the state have a lower sufficiency score. 
 
 
 
 According to a 2012 Skagit County Public Works Department, 42 of the county's 108 bridges that are 50 years or older. The document says eight of the bridges are more than 70 years old and two are over 80. 
 
 
 
 Washington state was given a C in the American Society of Civil Engineers' 2013 infrastructure report card and a C- when it came to the state's bridges. The group said more than a quarter of Washington's 7,840 bridges are considered structurally deficient of functionally obsolete. 
 
 Liza Javier and Travis Pittman of KING 5 and Manuel Valdes and Mike Baker of The Associated Press contributed to this report.
– If this story didn't already cause you to develop a mild case of gephyrophobia, then this one may do the trick: Some 11% of America's bridges are structurally deficient and in need of repair, according to a new report from Transportation for America. It's a stat made more serious when you consider this next one: 260 million trips are made across the 66,405 problematic bridges each day. As USA Today explains, these bridges aren't necessarily dangerous, they just need a lot of work, which has been priced at $76 billion by the Federal Highway Administration. That amount will just get larger as the years pass. These bridges are, on average, 65 years old, and in 10 years, the number of "senior citizen" bridges will be one in four. "You're seeing the aging of the system," says a co-author of the report. "It really does parallel the [aging of] the Baby Boomers in a startling way." Congress recently eliminated a dedicated bridge repair fund, meaning "bridge repair now must compete with other transportation needs," the report states. Rather than "an epidemic of collapses," the more common consequences of the aging bridge system will be things like more large potholes and closed lanes, the co-author tells NBC News.