Infrastructure of America's Bridges

They hover over rivers and lakes and valleys and railroad tracks and even parts of oceans. They can be beautiful and they can be ugly. But most of all, they need to be safe. They are the bridges of the United States. And more than 50,000 of them are in poor condition. Read all about American bridges in need of repair in this book. Learn about the ones that have collapsed and the ones that remain open despite remaining in bad shape. The interesting stories here gives readers a tour of bridges both famous and obscure around the United States.

“From its matter-of-fact cover, you wouldn’t think that this entry in the America’s Infrastructure series (6 titles) would dabble in disaster; however, it profiles eight bridges that have suffered damage or collapse. Other than the Golden Gate Bridge, the featured bridges will be unfamiliar to most readers—Washington’s Skagit River Bridge, for instance—but each shows wear and tear in its own unique way. Without resorting to sensationalism, the text highlights the high cost of bridge repair and upkeep, while emphasizing that maintenance is “worth every penny” if it means keeping people safe. Colorful text boxes insert trivia into each chapter, and a concluding “What You Should Know” page recaps the book’s major points; strangely, bridge-specific terms like draw span go undefined in the glossary. Nevertheless, this offers a valuable perspective on a popular topic.”--Booklist, Julia Smith, March 15, 2018