WBUR Newsroom Election 2008 CommonHealth Blog Radio Boston Blog Boston Weather Climate Connections BBC World News NPR Top Stories NPR's Morning Edition NPR Topics: Books NPR Topics: Movies Fresh Air All Things Considered Marketplace Submit a News Tip RSS Feeds Podcasts Special Series: Bridges & Roads By Meghna Chakrabarti Listen to story (Real Audio) Rusted girders underneath the Longfellow Bridge. (Photo by Claudine Ebeid) BOSTON, Mass. - May 21, 2007 - If you drive to work, chances are you cross a bridge to get there. Massachusetts has thousands of them and many are in trouble. They're a critical part of the state's crumbling transportation infrastructure and in need of work. But a recent report puts Massachusetts' transportation funding gap at a billion dollars a year. Today, we launch a closer look at the impact of that shortfall. Today, in the first part of our series, WBUR's Meghna Chakrabarti reports on one case in point: the Longfellow Bridge. This series is produced by WBUR's Claudine Ebeid, with web production assistance from WBUR's Ken George and Will Smith. Send a photograph of troubled bridges or roads in your neck of the woods along with a location and we will include it on our map. E-mail: wburnewmedia@yahoo.com RELATED LINKS Transportation Finance Commission Report (Pdf) Mass Highway Longfellow Restoration Page The Engineering Center: MA Bridges Status Report Text of Story: Part I Special Series, Bridges and Roads: Part II Crumbling Commonwealth Photographs, map and other resources.    From The WBUR Newsroom Comparing Jobless Benefits BOSTON, Mass. (July 25, 2008) As jobless claims rise, people get more unemployment benefits in Massachusetts than in most other states. We compare what it's like for someone in Lawrence with their counterpart across the border in Salem, New Hampshire. From Pump to Pew BOSTON, Mass. (July 25, 2008) A church in West Bridgewater is giving out free raffle tickets to parishioners. The prize: a 50-dollar gas card...and more people in the pews. Strain of Stressful Finances BOSTON, Mass. (July 25, 2008) The faltering economy puts stress on individuals and families, and may lead to a rise in people with mental health issues. We talk with one doctor from Mass. General about the trend and what to do about it. The Bard is Back in Boston BOSTON, Mass. (July 25, 2008) The Bard is back: Shakespeare on the Common returns to the outdoor stage with a full schedule of free shows this summer.