States: U.S. bridges aging

WASHINGTON (CNN) - It would cost at least $140 billion to repair all the nation's bridges if work began immediately, and the cost would only rise the longer repairs are delayed, a nationwide safety organization said in a comprehensive report Monday.

"States simply cannot keep up with bridge maintenance," the report warns, adding that 73 percent of U.S. road traffic - and 90 percent of truck traffic - travels over state-owned bridges.

Nearly one in four bridges needs repairs, and the average age of America's bridges is 43 years - seven years shy of the maximum age for which most are designed, according to the report, titled "Bridging the Gap." One in five U.S. bridges is more than 50 years old, the report says.

"Almost one in four bridges, while safe to travel, is either structurally deficient, in need of repair, or ... too narrow for today's traffic volumes," the report says.