Purpose of Audit

The purpose of our audit was to determine whether counties are properly maintaining their bridges to ensure the safety of those who travel on them for the period January 1, 2007, to December 31, 2011.

Background

The County covers 810 square miles and has approximately 220,000 residents. The County is governed by a 23-member Board of Supervisors. The County’s budgeted expenditures totaled $233 million in 2012.

The County Department of Public Works is responsible for the maintenance and monitoring of 104 County-owned bridges. The DPW includes a professional engineer who is directly involved with the oversight of bridges. The DPW operating budget was $31.6 million for the 2012 fiscal year.

Key Findings

• The County has a written plan for bridge maintenance and repairs. During our audit period, the County maintained average bridge ratings and a consistent level of funding for bridge maintenance, repairs, and replacements.
• The County does not track maintenance and repairs by bridge, which could make it more difficult to determine when it is more economical to replace rather than repair a bridge.

Key Recommendation

• Record and monitor repairs and maintenance by bridge.