There are 50 bridges between Broward County, Miami-Dade County and Monroe County that are considered structurally deficient.
Experts said the term "structurally deficient" does not mean the bridge is unsafe to travel on. They said it depends on the bridge itself.
NBC 6's Jeff Burnside looked at one of the 50 listed bridges Friday with an engineer from Florida International University.
The Northwest 17th Avenue Bridge near Jackson Memorial Hospital was one of the worst-rated bridges on the list of bridges in South Florida considered structurally deficient.
The bridge was visibly in poor shape -- it shook when cars crossed over it. To be sure, Luis Trieto, a highly-credentialed FIU professor, inspected the bridge.
"It's a potential danger," Trieto said.
Trieto said, for 20 years, he's been bringing students to the Northwest 17th Avenue Bridge as an example of a dilapidated bridge.
"I, personally, if I were a director of public works, I would shut it down right now," Trieto said. "I think it is a serious situation."
Engineers said drawbridges are especially susceptible to fatigue because of constant motion and excessive traffic.
"If, say, 10 guys are holding up a structure and a few start walking away, you'll see the remaining guys start shaking because of the excess load," Trieto said. "That's why this bridge is shaking every day more and more and more. Because there are fewer elements carrying the load."
Miami-Dade County announced a weight restriction on the Northwest 17th Avenue Bridge this week.
The county will begin a $7 million repair job in the fall. However, experts said, $7 million may not be enough.
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