Fatalities and serious injuries resulting from the recent collapse of a newly constructed pedestrian bridge in Florida has sparked concerns about the safety of bridges in many other states. Pingbo Tang, an assistant professor in the Fulton Schools’ Del E. Web School of Construction, says Arizona’s more than 8,000 bridges are generally safe, but the state’s heavy summer monsoon rains can erode soil around the foundations of bridges. That raises safety concerns, Tang says. He adds that the Arizona Department of Transportation also monitors bridges for potential damage from earthquakes, geological conditions and related factors, and that highway load limits are posted on structurally deficient bridges as a safety warning. See related coverage KTAR News (Phoenix)