In the year since a Minnesota bridge collapse drew national attention, the Perrine Bridge attained a rating of structurally deficient by the federal government but it's still considered safe to travel on, a state official said Thursday.

Bridges deemed structurally deficient have elements that need monitoring and parts that need to be scheduled for repair or replacement. The designation does not necessarily mean a bridge is unsafe, although it is one of the factors used to determine when a bridge is at risk, and which ones qualify for federal money.

The 32-year-old Perrine Bridge was found to be structurally deficient during a routine inspection a few weeks before the eight-lane Interstate 35 W in downtown Minneapolis collapsed a year ago today, killing 13 people and injuring more than 100.

"There's nothing that's causing great alarm. It's just things that need to be cleared up," said ITD spokesman Nathan Jerke. "The Perrine Bridge is safe or safer than any bridge in our area. There's no reason to believe it's going to do anything besides keep holding up traffic like it has for the past 32 years."

Most of Idaho's state bridges are at or past their designed life span of 50 years, but with a tight budget and lots of other roadwork needed, the ITD is doing its best to make them last longer, ITD Spokesman Jeff Stratten told the Associated Press.

The problems with the Perrine Bridge are "somewhat superficial" but its elements are at satisfactory standards, Jerke said. Among the issues contributing to its rating of 69 points out of 100 are moderate wear on the bridge's driving surface; cracks in the steel girder; and some missing and loose bolts.

"While that sounds bad, there are thousands of bolts on that thing," he said. "Missing a few will bring down the score but it's definitely repairable that can be taken car of real easily."

ITD Board member Gary Blick, from Castleford, said he's not familiar with the precise federal standards but is confident with state policies, including inspections performed every two years.

"I sure don't know what their criteria entail but in our checking and so on, our bridge department feels it's safe and there (are) no problems other than just taking care of it," he said.

In October, the Perrine Bridge will be repaired over four weeks - a decision resulting from its last inspection July 17, Jerke said. There will be repairs to expansion joints, fix loose or missing bolts and install a fiber optics communication wires.

Last year, after the Minnesota bridge collapse, ITD Magic Valley district engineer Devin Rigby told the Times-News there were no structurally deficient bridges in south-central Idaho.

But the report with the July 17 inspection results was released after the collapse, Jerke said. He said the repairs are intended to remove the bridge's rating as structurally deficient.

"The Perrine Bridge is no different than any other bridge," he said. "It's 32 years old and is just starting to show a little bit of age."

Rep. Leon Smith, R-Twin Falls, a former ITD Board Chairman, said the term structurally deficient doesn't necessarily mean the bridge is unsafe. If it were, he argued, officials would have taken action, such as closing off part or all of the bridge to vehicles.

"My opinion of the bridge department at ITD is that they're very efficient and very safety-conscience and if they thought the public was in danger of that bridge, they'd close it," he said. "Here, apparently, deficiency isn't rated that high because they're letting all traffic stay on."

Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter has been conducting a series of meetings around the state designed to drum up support among Idaho residents for new fee or tax hikes aimed at improving Idaho's roads and bridges. The Twin Falls hearing is scheduled for 4 to 7 p.m., Tuesday at the Red Lion Canyon Springs Hotel on Blue Lakes Boulevard.

Jared S. Hopkins may be reached at 208-735-3204 or jhopkins@magicvalley.com.