Czech state dangerously neglecting roadway bridges, Supreme Audit Office says

The Czech state has neglected to properly inspect, maintain and repair bridges spanning the nation’s roads and motorways, the Supreme Audit Office says in a report published on Monday. The results could be tragic, it charges.

The Ministry of Transport noted following the report’s release that on Friday Minister Karel Havlíček (unaffiliated) had announced plans to inspect all 24,300 railway and road bridges in the country.

In total there are some 17,500 bridges spanning Czech roads and motorways. Some are administered by the state while other are the responsibility of district authorities. According to the Supreme Audit Office, around one in five are in poor or dilapidated condition.