ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — A recent Florida Department of Transportation report on Florida bridges found dozens of Orange County bridges functionally obsolete or structurally deficient. 

Eight bridges overseen by Orange County are considered "functionally obsolete" — a term used to describe a bridge which does not meet current or future traffic needs. It does not mean the bridge it structurally unsafe.

The Bates Road bridge is one of those eight bridges. The bridge, which is 60 years old, has the lowest sufficiency rating of any bridge overseen by the county highway agency. We dug into FDOT records and found the rating fell from just October 2021 to January 2022. When we asked the county about these concerns, a spokesperson emailed us saying “The bridge was slated to last 50 years. Currently, it has posted restrictive loads because of its conditions. We have identified cracks.” The statement goes on to say there is no risk to the public.

Aunita Padgett, who has lived in the neighborhood for the past 50 years, said she'd like to see immediate repairs.

“If they have cracks in them, they definitely do!” Padgett expressed.

The county said the bridge is on the construction crew’s schedule. The bridge over Buck Road is also on the schedule and is set to be replaced.

“That was the only bridge that FDOT found to be of critical nature. Critical means it’s a safety hazard. No other bridge qualified as critical," Eduardo Avellaneda explained, who is with the Orange County Public Works Department.

However, Avellaneda said the Buck Road bridge is still safe to drive on.

Both bridges were identified in an October 2021 audit which found Public Works was not prioritizing bridge repairs or completing them in a timely manner, and that pedestrian bridges were not inspected by a qualified structural engineer.

“If there's any kind of structural issue deal with that 1st, that's public safety. I mean, that's the main business of government, is protecting the public," Orange County Comptroller Phil Diamond said.

Avellaneda said right after the audit began in 2017, the Public Works Department made changes, including inspecting bridges once a year, and creating a bridge maintenance program.

Avellaneda emphasized while repairs are needed, every bridge under Public Works’ purview is safe. 

The Public Works Department has identified 46 bridges that will likely need to be replaced in the next 20 years. But with more people moving to Orange County, meaning more traffic, that timeline could speed up.