HARRISBURG (AP) -- One-quarter of Pennsylvania's highway bridges are "structurally deficient" and in need of immediate repair or replacement, including hundreds of spans that carry at least 10,000 vehicles every day, says a study released Wednesday by a construction industry research group.

"Pennsylvania has the third-highest percentage of structurally deficient bridges in the country, behind only Oklahoma and Rhode Island," the study's authors said.

Of the more than 22,000 Pennsylvania bridges tracked by the Federal Highway Administration, 25 percent showed significant deterioration to decks and other major components that constitute structural deficiencies, said the Washington-based group called The Road Information Program, or TRIP. Another 18 percent were labeled "functionally obsolete" because they no longer meet modern design standards.

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