The collapse of the I-35W bridge in downtown Minneapolis on Aug. 1 made frighteningly real what we have long known was possible – the neglect of our highways and bridges is beginning to catch up with us.

The catastrophic failure of the I-35W bridge cost 13 lives, immense suffering and continuing economic losses. It was unusual, but not entirely unexpected. There are more than 74,000 structurally deficient bridges across the country and that number continues to rise. The longer we fail to maintain and improve our transportation infrastructure, the greater danger it will be to the public’s safety.

After the tragedy in Minnesota, Gov. John Baldacci called for a review of Maine bridges. The governor’s bridge report is due any day now, and many community leaders are anxious to learn what it has to say. There is a lot at stake.

Consider this: The Maine Department of Transportation says in its long-range plan that we should be replacing 32 bridges or more a year to keep pace with deterioration of steel and concrete. Yet it has funding to replace only 14. Although structurally deficient bridges are a nationwide problem, Maine has more failing bridges than its share – over 14 percent. Twenty percent of Maine bridges are “functionally obsolete” compared with 13 percent of bridges nationally. In actual numbers, we have 343 deficient bridges and 477 bridges classified as “obsolete.”

In northern and Down East Maine, the problem is acute. Penobscot County has a whopping 68 bridges on DOT’s list of “at risk” bridges; Aroostook County has 33; Washington County has 26; Lincoln 25; and Knox and Hancock each have 20. This already enormous backlog of overdue repairs and replacements will continue to increase in size – and cost – if we continue to underinvest in transportation.

If we add in Maine’s high proportion of seasonally posted roads and the numerous state roads that have never been rebuilt to modern standards, it is easy to see that we have a steep, uphill climb ahead. In fact, DOT has estimated that it will require an additional $162 million every year for the next 20 years to make our highways and bridges safe.

Mainers had our own brush with potential disaster four years ago when an inspection of the Waldo-Hancock Bridge carrying Route 1 over the Penobscot River showed that the main cables were failing. The bridge was immediately posted and the rerouting of truck traffic took a significant toll on the region’s economy until temporary repairs could be made.

Today, the new Penobscot Narrows Bridge carries traffic high over a dramatic crossing and has won numerous national awards. But as wonderful as the new bridge is, it imposed serious costs. In part, because it had to be designed and built so quickly, the price tag was high – nearly $100 million. This unanticipated need forced DOT to divert capital resources from other projects. During the 2005-06 biennial construction program, DOT canceled 20 percent of all projects, citing rising costs. Now, despite passage of a record $113 million bond issue in June, the state’s transportation construction program isn’t even playing catch up to Maine’s critical needs.

We know the facts. Our infrastructure is crumbling and dwindling revenues from the gas tax are not going to provide the funding we need to turn the situation around. In recent years, the problem has only grown worse because DOT has not had a steady funding stream (the bond voters strongly endorsed this past June followed a 2005 measure that was only half its usual size, at a time when construction costs soared by increased 35 percent over a two-year period).

The Legislature’s Transportation Committee has been working on this issue for more than a year and is currently studying several long-term funding options, including changes to the fuel tax, allocation of a portion of sales tax on vehicles to transportation and other measures. This is a complex assignment but the public risk requires the committee to give it prompt and sustained attention.

Maine people need our leaders’ commitment to supporting safe and efficient transportation. We need the vigorous leadership of the governor’s office finding a workable, long-term solution. Our congressional delegation must continue its hard work to secure Maine’s fair share of federal transportation dollars. We need the full support of all our legislators in Augusta to make the rebuilding of our deteriorating transportation system a priority of the first order.

I hope the governor’s report on Maine bridges will be a strong step toward a long-term solution to keeping our highways and bridges safe. There is no acceptable alternative. Maine has everything to lose if we do not work quickly to find a solution – just ask the people of Minnesota.

Tim Woodcock is a former mayor of Bangor.