Bridges in Ontario are at the end of their lifespan and it will take $2 billion to save them from crumbling, according to a new report.

The study also finds that there is no regulating body that ensures municipal bridges are regularly inspected for safety.

There is "no assurance that municipal bridges in Ontario are safe,'' says the study, authored by the Residential and Civil Construction Alliance of Ontario.

Ontario has to be "vigilant and ready to take timely, responsible action to safeguard the public from potential infrastructure failures," it continues.

The report, released Tuesday morning, looked at 12,000 bridges in the province. It found most bridges were built in the 1950s and 1960s, meaning they are reaching the end of their lifespan. Depending on how often they are maintained and how heavily they are travelled, their lifespan could be even shorter.

There has already been evidence bridges are in disrepair around North America. In Toronto, chunks have fallen off the Gardiner Expressway, narrowly missing commuters during rush hour. Last October, five people died in Laval, Que. when a bridge collapsed.

This past August, 13 people died and 100 more were injured when a Minnesota highway bridge fell apart.

The study concludes $2 billion is needed over the next five years to make sure bridges are up to modern standards.

The province will have to step in and help municipalities that are already trying to deal with upgrading other aging infrastructure, such as sewer pipes and roads, said Andy Manahan, executive director of the RCCAO.

"They have to have at the minimum, grants, loans or in some cases, the province might have to pay for it outright with smaller towns," he told CTV.ca.

Though inspections on municipal roads are made, there has been no insurance that they are being done regularly ever since the province downloaded the responsibility in 1997.

"The cities couldn't afford it but it's in the small towns where it has been more repressive," Manahan said.

A review of the state of Ontario's bridges needs to be done right away, he said.

"Then you need to prioritize," he said.

The report outlines a number of steps the province must take. Ontario should:

  • Oversee and enforce inspections on all bridges twice a year
  • Collect standardized data on their condition as part of a general inventory on bridges
  • Prepare a report prioritizing repairs
  • Create a multi-year funding program that will help municipalities cope with repair costs
  • Ensure those people doing the inspections are accredited

He said if enough resources were pooled together, a review of many of the bridges could be done in the first six months.

He said the review could be conducted faster with new technology that is available. This new technology will also help inspectors conduct a more thorough inspection.

"We can see cracks in the road or cement chipping away but do we know what's happening in the sub-service of the bridge?" he said. "We might get more thorough answers but it will also cost more."

Premier Dalton McGuinty said the province does keep track of bridges and their condition but that the government will certainly take a look at the report.

"Certainly families have a right to expect when they are travelling across a bridge, it is safe."