HOLLIDAYSBURG, Pa. -- With small rivers and streams running throughout the Alleghenies, in Blair County there are an inordinate number of bridges. Most of them aren't the big bridges on the highways, but the ones residents cross every day.

Nine bridges in Blair County, like the Kladder Station bridge, are due for inspection. Most of them are rust-covered and old, dating back to the early 1900s. Federal law requires regular two-year inspections of all of them. In Blair County, that's 58 local bridges that officials have to continually upgrade.

Officials said those inspections ensure local bridges really are safe. But several Blair County bridges require inspection every year because they're not just old, they're considered "fracture critical."

PennDOT officials said all bridges must meet the same safety standards, so they're working with counties like Blair County and other municipalities to make sure the bridges people cross every day stay sound.

In Blair County there have already been a number of bridges replaced because they were outdated. If the inspectors find that any of the nine bridges due for inspection are deficient, county officials will have to work with PennDOT to figure out just how soon they need to repair or replace them.