The state of New Mexico is overhauling 10 structurally deficient bridges this year and has plans to replace three dozen bridges next year.
55 bridges out of almost 3,000 state-owned bridges are due for preventive maintenance, such as replacing deck joints, deck sealing and painting.
Nearly 300 more bridges around New Mexico were listed as structurally deficient in the 2013 National Bridge Inventory, and it will cost millions of dollars to fix them all.
Many are more than half-a-century old or have to carry a lot more vehicle traffic than they did when they were built.
A structurally deficient bridge doesn't mean it's ready to collapse, but it does have load-bearing features that have deteriorated to poor condition.
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Information from: The Santa Fe New Mexican, http://www.sfnewmexican.com
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