Department of Transportation

Bridge Vehicle Impact Assesment Reports

About: Bridges in New York State are experiencing close to 200 bridge hits a year. From the
analysis of bridge hits data provided by the NYSDOT, it has been observed that these accidents
could be attributed to numerous factors, including improperly stored equipment on trucks,
violation of vehicle posting signs, illegal commercial vehicles on parkways, etc. According to
the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), over 600,000 bridges are registered in the
National Bridge Inventory (NBI). By a wide margin, most bridges that collapse do so during
floods. Overweight vehicles, usually crossing a bridge in violation of posted weight limits, are
the second biggest cause of bridge collapses. According to Federal Highway Administration, a
3rd leading cause of bridge failure or collapse is collision damage when a vehicle or a vessel hits
a bridge.

Bridge Vehicle Impact Assesment Reports	Date Issued	File Type
Task 1: Problem Background Investigation	March 2009
Task 2: Determine Current Procedures	February 2010
Task 3: Collect NYSDOT Expertise on Bridge Hits	February 2010
Task 4: Identify Specific Bridge Hit Prevention	June 2010
Task 5: Computer Program for Bridge Impact Analysis	April 2011
Task 6: Recommend Improvements to the NYSDOT Collision Vulnerability Procedure	April 2011
Task 7: Recommend General Bridge Hit Prevention	September 2011
Bridge Vehicle Impact Assesment - Final Report	December 2011