Structure 121020B10977004 · Harris County, TX

Buffalo Spdwy NB over Sims Bayou

Carries Buffalo Spdwy NB over Sims Bayou, 0.40 Mi N Of W Fuqua.

Overall conditionGood

Set by its lowest-rated component: Deck and Superstructure and Substructure at 7 of 9.

How ratings work
Decksets the rating7/9 · Good
Superstructuresets the rating7/9 · Good
Substructuresets the rating7/9 · Good
Channelnot part of overall8/9 · Very Good
0 failed4 poor6 fair9 excellent

Elevation

Side view, colored by inspection rating
SEMI-TRUCK · 72 FT251 FT OVERALL50 FT0ELEVATION · LENGTHS TO SCALE
Deck 7/9Superstructure 7/9Substructure 7/9

251 ft end to end: about 3 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 box-beam bridge.

Built200818 years old
Length251.0 ft76.5 m
Daily traffic7,400counted 2011
Last inspectedAugust 2023every 24 months

Location

StateTexas
CountyHarris
Location0.40 Mi N Of W Fuqua
CarriesBuffalo Spdwy NB
CrossesSims Bayou
Coordinates29.61909, -95.43076

Physical Characteristics

MaterialPrestressed Concrete
DesignBox Beam - Multiple
Total Length251.0 ft (76.5 m)
Max Span117.1 ft (35.7 m)
Deck Width34.1 ft (10.4 m)
Deck Area795.6 sq m
Main Spans1
Year Built2008

Traffic

Avg Daily Traffic7,400 (2011)
Truck Traffic2%
Lanes On Bridge2

Inspection & Ownership

Last InspectionAugust 2023
Inspection FrequencyEvery 24 months
OwnerCity/Municipal Highway Agency
Historical SignificanceBridge is not eligible for the National Register
Scour Critical6 — Scour calculated, stable
Structure Number121020B10977004

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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