When a 60-ton concrete beam snapped and crashed onto Interstate 70 last Tuesday, the sound of the fall echoed far beyond Washington County. It drew attention to the worrisome condition of about one-quarter of the state's 25,000 bridges.

If a 53-foot beam could collapse onto a highway traveled by 40,000 vehicles each day, how many similar accidents are waiting to happen? Fortunately, no one was under the beam or traveling across the bridge when the support broke. This time injuries, thankfully, were minor and few.

It's sad that deteriorating infrastructure -- bridges, water mains, sewer pipes, highways and sidewalks -- has become one of the hallmarks of southwestern Pennsylvania. Whenever major problems develop -- a road in Ohio Township washes away or a 36-inch water main ruptures in Downtown Pittsburgh -- costs rise quickly into the millions. Just as importantly, residents and business people often find themselves inconvenienced or isolated for weeks or months. Such problems certainly are a factor in the region's image woes.

The good news is that the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation has begun a multi-year effort to catch up on deferred bridge maintenance. Drawing on the $2 billion raised each year via the state's taxes on gasoline and diesel fuel, PennDOT has increased spending for bridge work. Last year Pennsylvania was on track to spend $450 million on bridge construction, rehabilitation and preservation. The Rendell administration plans to increase that number, which is three times the amount spent a decade ago, to $500 million this year. Since the cost of dealing with the problem is estimated at $10 billion, it is critical that spending remain at least at that threshold, adjusted for inflation, for the next 20 years. Even at that impressive level of spending, the result would be to bring the rating of "deficient," now applied to 25 percent of the state's spans, down to a less troubling 10 percent.

"Deficient" covers a multitude of sins: evidence of deterioration, old age, weight restriction, outdated construction and inadequate capacity. The Lake View Drive bridge in South Strabane, scheduled to be demolished this month, is a poster child for the state's problem spans. Ranked by PennDOT inspectors at 4, on a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being excellent, the bridge was 45 years old. Early analysis indicates the beam was corroded by road salt and weakened as passing trucks nicked its underside. While the bridge remained open to 40-ton trucks, residents say it was lightly used, mostly by local drivers.

Like the imminent prospect of hanging, the Washington County accident wonderfully focuses the mind, in this case on the importance of timely bridge inspections. PennDOT, backed by the Rendell administration, appears to understand that it is not enough to inspect, but the state must allocate additional dollars to repair, renovate or replace before another beam fractures with possibly deadly consequences.