HARRISBURG — State highway officials on Monday released the safety ratings of the state's 25,000 bridges, reversing a long policy of keeping the information confidential.

Highway officials had denied requests for the records, citing internal concerns about causing undue public alarm or revealing security weaknesses. After the deadly collapse of a highway span in Minnesota raised the profile of bridge safety nationally, the state Department of Transportation reversed its decision.

PennDOT had previously disclosed the identity of the state's bridges that are considered structurally deficient, or in need of repair. Almost a quarter of Pennsylvania's 25,000 state-owned bridges that measure 8 feet or longer are considered structurally deficient.

PennDOT officials say that all the bridges that are open are safe for motorists to use.

Earlier this month, PennDOT released the safety ratings of the state's 54 deck truss bridges, which are similar in design to one that collapsed in Minnesota and are undergoing fresh inspections.

The agency assigns a sufficiency rating to each bridge on a scale of 0 to 100, with 0 being the worst. The rating takes into account a bridge's structural condition, importance and ability to meet current traffic demands.

PennDOT also grades bridges according to the condition of their primary structures — the deck, superstructure and substructure. A bridge is classified as structurally deficient if it receives a 4 or less on a scale of 9 on at least one of the primary structures. A bridge that receives a 1 on any of its primary structures is required to be closed until repaired.

To view the bridge safety rating on the Internet, go to: ftp://ftp.dot.state.pa.us/public/pdf/ReportASTATEPUBLIC.xls

A map of deficient, closed and posted bridges is available at www.RideonPa.org