Thousands of structurally deficient bridges across Pennsylvania and the state’s auditor general says the money to fix them is there, but isn’t being used for that purpose.

With Harrisburg’s Market Street Bridge in the background, Auditor General Eugene DePasquale on Thursday released the findings of an audit conducted on PennDOT.

He says there are 2,829 structurally deficient state-owned bridges in Pennsylvania. PennDOT has been able to reduce that number, which was more than 6,000 in 2008, but DePasquale says it could be even lower.

“Over the past six years, $4.2 billion was diverted from repairing roads and bridges.”

That money was transferred from the Motor License Fund to State Police.

In the last fiscal year, State Police received almost $790 million from the fund. Much of it coming from the state’s gas tax, the highest in the country.

Eugene DePasquale says, “You’re paying an extra $5.76 every ten gallons.”

And, with many bridges having outlived what they were designed for, PennDOT Secretary Leslie Richards says, “Nearly 51% have exceeded their original 50-year design.”

Richards calling on state lawmakers to find a new way to fund State Police and lawmakers in Washington to pass a transportation bill.

Richards says, “It’s time for federal action to address deteriorating infrastructure nationwide.”