Will bridge tenders be replaced by AI?
Updated
Bridge tenders score 27 out of 100 for AI exposure. 54% of their task time needs a person. AI can do 28% and helps with 18%.
- 28% AI can do it
- 18% AI helps
- 54% Needs a person
Low exposure
Lower than 67% of the 923 jobs we scored.
Task by task
We graded 18 tasks, most exposed first. AI can do 4 of them, helps with 3 and leaves 11 to people.
| Task | AI exposure |
|---|---|
| Log data, such as water levels and weather conditions. Sensor feeds and weather data can be logged automatically with minimal input. | 75% AI can do it |
| Record names, types, and destinations of vessels passing through bridge openings or locks, and numbers of trains or vehicles crossing bridges. Logging vessel names, types and vehicle counts is routine data capture. | 70% AI can do it |
| Write and submit maintenance work requisitions. Writing and submitting maintenance requests is form-based writing and routing. | 70% AI can do it |
| Prepare accident reports. Accident reports can be drafted from notes and sensor or camera records. | 65% AI can do it |
| Observe position and progress of vessels to ensure best use of lock spaces or bridge opening spaces. Camera and vision software could track vessel position and lock space. | 35% AI helps |
| Observe approaching vessels to determine size and speed, and listen for whistle signals indicating desire to pass. Radar and camera analytics could estimate vessel size and speed, but whistles need listening. | 25% AI helps |
| Inspect canal and bridge equipment, and areas, such as roadbeds, for damage or defects, reporting problems to supervisors as necessary. Vision tools could flag defects, but physical inspection and reporting stay human. | 25% AI helps |
| Direct movements of vessels in locks or bridge areas, using signals, telecommunication equipment, or loudspeakers. Live radio and loudspeaker direction of boats needs real-time human judgement. | 18% Needs a person |
| Control machinery to open and close canal locks and dams, railroad or highway drawbridges, or horizontally or vertically adjustable bridges. Operating physical lock and bridge machinery needs on-site hands and safety judgement. | 15% Needs a person |
| Check that bridges are clear of vehicles and pedestrians prior to opening. Checking bridge decks for people and vehicles requires physical presence. | 15% Needs a person |
Show the other 8 tasks
| Task | AI exposure |
|---|---|
| Maintain and guard stations in bridges to check waterways for boat traffic. Guarding a station and watching waterways requires on-site human presence. | 10% Needs a person |
| Move levers to activate traffic signals, navigation lights, and alarms. Physically moving levers to switch signals and alarms is hands-on work. | 8% Needs a person |
| Perform maintenance duties, such as sweeping, painting, and yard work to keep facilities clean and in order. Sweeping, painting and yard work are physical labor. | 5% Needs a person |
| Turn valves to increase or decrease water levels in locks. Turning valves to fill or drain locks is physical equipment operation. | 5% Needs a person |
| Stop automobile and pedestrian traffic on bridges, and lower automobile gates prior to moving bridges. Stopping traffic and lowering gates is physical, on-site enforcement. | 5% Needs a person |
| Raise drawbridges and observe passage of water traffic or lower drawbridges and raise automobile gates. Raising and lowering bridges and gates is hands-on machinery work. | 5% Needs a person |
| Clean and lubricate equipment, and make minor repairs and adjustments. Cleaning, lubricating and repairing equipment is hands-on physical work. | 3% Needs a person |
| Attach ropes or cable lines to bitts on lock decks or wharfs to secure vessels. Tying ropes and cables to bitts is physical dockside work. | 2% Needs a person |
How bridge tenders compare
All jobs (923)
Transportation and material moving (52)
Pay and outlook in the US
- Median pay
- $57,700 a year, May 2025
- People employed
- 3,040 in the US, May 2025
- Projected change in jobs
- -2.3% from 2024 to 2034
Skills to build
- Turn lock valves to fill and drain chambers
- Raise and lower drawbridges with the operating controls
- Attach cable lines to bitts for vessel mooring
- Judge vessel size and speed by sight and whistle
- Check sensor logs against site conditions in Excel
- Submit maintenance requisitions in Oracle PeopleSoft
Safer roles nearby
5 related jobs with lower scores.
Questions about bridge tenders and AI
Will AI replace bridge tenders?
Partly. About 3 in 10 working hours go to tasks AI can already do, mostly logging water levels and weather data and recording vessel names and vehicle counts. Turning lock valves, raising drawbridges and tying off vessels stay with people because they need a person on site with the equipment.
Which bridge tender tasks will AI take over?
Logging data is the most exposed task, with an exposure score of 75, because sensor feeds and weather data can be recorded automatically. Writing maintenance work requisitions scores 70 since it is form-based writing and routing, and preparing accident reports scores 65 because drafts can come from sensor and camera records.
Which bridge tender tasks stay with people?
Attaching cable lines to bitts scores 2 on exposure, the lowest on the list, because it is physical dockside work. Turning lock valves and raising drawbridges each score 5, since they run hands-on machinery that a person must operate in place.
How can bridge tenders stay valuable?
Keep the hands-on work that scores lowest, such as turning lock valves and lowering automobile gates before a bridge lift. Build skill in judging vessel size, speed and whistle signals, since that stays with you while cameras handle logging. Use Excel to check sensor logs against what you see on site.
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