Structure 2248 · Colbert County, AL

Buddy Durham RD over Bear Creek

Carries Buddy Durham RD over Bear Creek, Buddy Ferrell Bridge.

Overall conditionPoor

Set by its lowest-rated component: Superstructure at 4 of 9.

How ratings work
Deck6/9 · Satisfactory
Superstructuresets the rating4/9 · Poor
Substructure5/9 · Fair
Channelnot part of overall6/9 · Satisfactory
0 failed4 poor6 fair9 excellent

Elevation

Side view, colored by inspection rating
SEMI-TRUCK · 72 FT273 FT OVERALL50 FT0ELEVATION · LENGTHS TO SCALE
Deck 6/9Superstructure 4/9 · sets the ratingSubstructure 5/9

273 ft end to end, longest span 122 ft: about 4 semi-trucks nose to tail. Lengths and the semi-truck on the deck are drawn to the same scale. Each part is colored by its latest inspection rating. The inventory records lengths but not heights or the layout of the shorter spans, so those are drawn as typical for a through truss.

Built194878 years old
Length273.0 ft83.2 m
Daily traffic360counted 2000
Last inspectedMay 2024every 24 months

Location

StateAlabama
CountyColbert
LocationBuddy Ferrell Bridge
CarriesBuddy Durham RD
CrossesBear Creek
Coordinates34.73444, -88.08894

Physical Characteristics

MaterialSteel
DesignTruss - Thru
Total Length273.0 ft (83.2 m)
Max Span122.0 ft (37.2 m)
Deck Width19.4 ft (5.9 m)
Deck Area490.9 sq m
Main Spans2
Year Built1948

Traffic

Avg Daily Traffic360 (2000)
Truck Traffic1%
Lanes On Bridge2

Inspection & Ownership

Last InspectionMay 2024
Inspection FrequencyEvery 24 months
OwnerCounty Highway Agency
Historical SignificanceHistorical significance is not determined
Scour Critical8 — Stable, low risk
Structure Number002248

How Bridge Ratings Work

Inspectors rate each major part of a bridge (the deck you drive on, the superstructure of beams that holds it up, and the substructure of piers and abutments beneath) on a 0–9 scale. A bridge's overall condition is its lowest of those ratings, so one deteriorated component makes the whole bridge "poor."

0Failed
1Imminent failure
2Critical
3Serious
4Poor
5Fair
6Satisfactory
7Good
8Very good
9Excellent
Good · lowest component 7–9
Fair · lowest component 5–6
Poor · lowest component 0–4

A poor rating is not a closure. It means the bridge is flagged for priority repair or replacement; bridges judged unsafe are closed or posted with weight limits. The waterway (channel) rating is reported, but it does not count toward the overall classification.

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