Bridge Posting — The Continuing Story By JOHN W. McCREE Bureau of Local Roads and Streets, IDOT

During the last four years, we have stressed the topic of Bridge Posting by authoring at least three articles for this column. In February, 1984 we discussed the safety and liability aspects of the 17,000 bridges in Illinois that are maintained by counties, townships and municipalities. You may want to review that article to refresh your memory about the guidelines for bridge posting signs and a proper maintenance program.

In the August, 1985 issue, we addressed load limits on bridges, the federal regulations involved, and the proper procedures for posting critically deficient bridges. This office sent a letter to each of nearly 1,500 road district highway commissioners in an effort to gain their support in addressing the problem. In that letter we noted that the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) had the authority and the responsibility to ensure that the National Bridge Inspection Program (NBIS) is followed. We also assured you that the Bureau of Local Roads and Streets would cooperate fully with all local agencies to comply with the NBIS.

In February, 1987, the Article "Bridge Posting Today" appeared in this periodical. We addressed the posting accomplishments on bridges on the local system and the excellent cooperation by the local agencies in Illinois. The percentage of compliance in the posting of deficient bridges jumped from 50 percent to 94 percent in just two years. This indicated a tremendous increase in concern for the safety of the traveling public by local governments, and you are to be commended for your fine efforts.

All of this background material may seem somewhat repetitious, but the fact remains that continued compliance with the NBIS and maintenance of in-place postings are far less expensive than the alternative.

Now to update you on the continuing saga of keeping bridge posting signs in service. The initial step to purchase materials and install the signs has been taken. The latest figures from inspections performed in the spring of 1988 show a 97 percent compliance with the posting or proper closing of bridges. Of the 17,291 local bridges in Illinois, 3,315 require posting or closure. Of these 3,315 bridges, 2,980 are properly posted and 227 are properly closed.

Most problems involve removal of the sign by souvenir hunters, pushing over of the sign and post to allow passage of wide loads, defacing of the sign with paint or using the sign for target practice. Local agencies have been rather innovative when installing these signs to minimize vandalism. One county placed signs on metal posts hoping the stronger material would discourage vandalism. Now, however, they find that these posts are being removed with a cutting torch.

One item which should be high on your agenda is maintaining ongoing productive relations with the community you serve. Good public relations can be generated in a number of ways such as speakers' bureaus, press kits, releases, press conferences, and public service announcements. Local schools generally welcome guest speakers who can give students authentic insight into some detail of their community and how it works. Press kits are an effective way to give reporters background on a problem or issue and there's no great difficulty in putting one together. Generally, press kits will include much, much more detail than you would expect anyone to use in a newspaper or television story. You want a reporter to fully understand a situation so he can write about it accurately and succinctly. What you also want is for the reporter to understand your point of view and perhaps even advocate it. Charts and photographs can be valuable tools in the press kit, so can cartoons and other graphic devices. If you become an accurate source of information, your point of view has a much better chance of carrying the day.

Along similar lines, press releases are effective means to get your story across. Usually they are centered on a single event or announcement. You might make a practice of having a periodic update of bridge conditions issued as a press release.

If there is a major announcement, such as the need to completely close a heavily traveled bridge, a press conference would be appropriate with releases detailing the whys and wherefores of the measure.

Radio stations can be very helpful and usually are more than happy to participate, partly because, as a condition of their licenses, they are required to devote some time to public service. If you have a problem that can be helped through public education, you can usually count on your local radio station for some air time.

Public relations are important at all levels of local government, and sometimes a cooperative effort is very effective. Some suggestions may seem inappropriate for individual highway commissioners, for example, but if several commissioners work together, perhaps in cooperation with the superintendent of highways, they may be workable in your situation. •

June 1988 / Illinois Municipal Review / Page 5