Just because a problem is easy to explain doesn’t mean there’s a simple solution.

That thought comes to you courtesy of the 2022 Bridge Report from the American Road & Transportation Builders Association. The first bullet point indicates 36% of U.S. bridges – almost 244,000 – need repair work, and of those 78,800 should be replaced.

Illinois ranks third on two lists: largest number of bridges in poor condition (2,405, behind Iowa and Pennsylvania) and largest deck area in poor condition (12%, trailing Rhode Island and West Virginia). Illinois isn’t on the list when ranked by percentage of total bridge inventory, as only 9% of our bridges are structurally deficient.

In all, ARTBA recommends work on 4,099 bridges, from “other structural work” to total replacement, with a repair cost exceeding $6.3 billion. That represents 3,564,163 square meters in bridge area and more than 32.8 million daily vehicle crossings.

The ARTBA is a trade group, so it definitely has a vested interest in states spending money fixing bridges, but it takes its data, including cost estimates, directly from the Federal Highway Administration’s National Bridge Inventory.

Last month’s collapse of the Fern Hollow bridge in Pittsburgh underscores the importance of taking these issues seriously. The ARTB’s list of bridges newly rated in poor condition includes the substantial U.S. 30 Mississippi River bridge spanning Illinois and Iowa, once part of my daily commute. For further context, visit artbabridgereport.org/state/profile/IL. From the state report landing page you can view statistics for each Congressional district.

Again, the problem is simply understood, but the solutions are complex: fixing all these bridges is very expensive, regardless of which government entity is responsible for which span. The busier the bridge, the more difficult the repair process. Full or partial closures wreak havoc on traffic patterns. Working overnight, if even practical, is more expensive. Also more expensive is deferring the work, especially if waiting results in a structural failure.

Most recent discussions of the topic involve Gov. JB Pritzker’s proposal to delay implementation of a scheduled gas tax hike of 2 cents per gallon as part of a taxpayer relief package he’s valuing at close to $1 billion. With federal infrastructure funds looming – $40 billion set aside for bridges alone – the strategy appears to be shifting the balance of who pays for what until such time as bumping the gas tax seems more politically feasible.

But that deferral, along with underfunded roadways, needs also to be considered in conjunction with the state’s investment in electric vehicles and that effort’s impact on motor fuel taxes.

Now is a time for bold, transformative ideas. Much of society relies upon individual transportation, yet we remain unequipped to pay for the full cost of that arrangement.

• Scott T. Holland writes about state government issues for Shaw Media. Follow him on Twitter @sth749. He can be reached at sholland@shawmedia.com.