"We're neglecting our investments in bridges," Herrmann said. "Regular inspections is what's keeping the driving public safe."
The 72-year-old Oceanic Bridge spanning the Navesink River between Rumson and Middletown, New Jersey was closed Oct. 17. Within days, five families withdrew their children from Mountain Hill School in Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey, said Andrew Kaiser, the school's owner. The closing added 15 minutes a trip to the school, time parents couldn't spare, Kaiser said.
The families represent about 5 percent of enrollment at the private preschool and kindergarten, where tuition can be as much as $7,500 a student, Kaiser said.
Time Is Money
The Mountain Hill School is a six-minute drive from the closed bridge. The detour to get around it is as long as 9.1 miles for some families, he said. The 2,700-foot bridge is scheduled to open in May and is slated to be replaced within 10 years, according to the Monmouth County, New Jersey, website.
"If the bridge opening is delayed much longer than May, next year's finances could be very interesting," Kaiser said.
Traffic congestion resulting from bridge closings has the the most obvious economic impact, increasing fuel consumption and disrupting schedules, Herrmann said.
A bridge built in 1929 over Lake Champlain in upstate New York was closed in 2009 after cracks were found. Residents had to take ferries to work and appointments. The ferry companies weren't equipped for the volume and traffic to use them is often backed up for hours, he said. The bridge, which had about 3,000 vehicle trips a day, will reopen sometime next year, according to the New York Department of Transportation website.
"When there is only one crossing it can be a big economic problem," Herrmann said.
Companies like UPS, whose business model makes understanding the U.S. highway and bridge system a necessity, have developed information systems to reroute drivers when detours occur, Susan Rosenberg, spokeswoman for the Atlanta-based company, said in an interview.