The average age of provincial bridges and overpasses has also dropped in recent years. It went from 22.2 years in 2004 to 20.9 years in 2007, reflecting increased investments. This follows a long period of ageing since 1979, when the average age was only 17.3 years.
Along with the water supply systems, bridges and overpasses were the second most important asset stock component in Newfoundland and Labrador in 2007, accounting for 12% its public infrastructure stock. As a percentage of the estimated useful life, bridges have generally tended to be younger than the national average. The rate was 48% in 2007, 9 percentage points under the Canadian average. Newfoundland and Labrador had the second youngest bridges among provinces in 2007, behind Prince Edward Island.