ABSTRACT
Earthquake damage to a bridge can have severe consequences. Clearly, the collapse of a bridge places people on or below the bridge at risk, and it must be replaced after the earthquake unless alternative transportation paths are identified. The consequences of less severe damage are less obvious and dramatic, but they are nonetheless important. A bridge closure, even if it is temporary, can have tremendous consequences, because bridges often provide vital links in a transportation system. In the immediate aftermath of an earthquake, closure of a bridge can impair emergency response operations. Later, the economic impact of a bridge closure increases with the length of time the bridge is closed, the economic importance of the traffic using the route, the traffic delay caused by following alternative routes, and the replacement cost for the bridge.
