Live
Audio Only
“Insufficient technical staff” to maintain the structures, the report says, is also a major issue. The names of the vulnerable bridges were not disclosed.
Some 840 bridges across France are vulnerable and at risk of collapse in the coming years, according to the French government.
RELATED:
Italy Motorway Bridge Collapses Over Genoa in Heavy Rains, 'dozens' Feared Dead
The audit found that one-third of the country's 12,000 state-maintained bridges required repairs, Journal du Dimanche newspaper reported Sunday. The government of President Emmanuel Macron has placed blame on previous administrations citing inconsistent and inadequate road funding.
The current administration promises new infrastructure to address increase traffic and extreme weather which have compounded the problem. “Insufficient technical staff” to maintain the structures, according to the report, is also a major issue.
The names of the at-risk bridges were not disclosed.
Transport Minister Elisabeth Borne said, last week, that bridge “maintenance is our priority” and announced plans for a US$1.14bn plan to “save the nation's roads.”
The French Government attracted particular scrutiny after Tuesday's bridge collapse in Genoa, Italy. At least 43 people were killed after a large section of the Morandi Bridge collapsed. The bridge was built by Autostrade per L'Italia in the 1960s.
The audit did not include thousands of other French bridges maintained by private companies or local authorities.
Newsletter
