The horrific collapse of a bridge recently near Genoa, Italy, killing at least 22 people, is shining a spotlight on the safety of bridge infrastructure worldwide.

While there are no Illinois bridges in danger of collapse, the state did rank fifth in the nation in terms of the number of "structurally deficient" bridges in 2017, at 2,303 bridges or 8.6 percent of the total, up from 2,243 in 2016, according to a study early this year by the American Road & Transportation Builders Association, a Washington-based trade group that used Federal Highway Administration figures.

The term "structurally deficient" does not mean a bridge is about to fall down, but that it is in need of repair or rebuilding, according to the association. If a bridge is allowed to deteriorate for too long, a government may choose to close it or limit how much it can carry.

94.1 WGFA