Structure 161260025403032 · Jim Wells County, TX

Bus 281 over SH 44 & Tex-mex Rr

Carries Bus 281 over SH 44 & Tex-mex Rr, Bus 281 @ SH 44.

Overall conditionFair

Set by its lowest-rated component: Deck and Superstructure and Substructure at 6 of 9.

How ratings work
Decksets the rating6/9 · Satisfactory
Superstructuresets the rating6/9 · Satisfactory
Substructuresets the rating6/9 · Satisfactory
0 failed4 poor6 fair9 excellent

Elevation

Side view, colored by inspection rating
SEMI-TRUCK · 72 FT782 FT OVERALL100 FT0ELEVATION · LENGTHS TO SCALE
Deck 6/9Superstructure 6/9Substructure 6/9

782 ft end to end: about 2.2 football fields. 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 multi-beam bridge.

Built1937rebuilt 1983
Length782.2 ft238.4 m
Daily traffic6,804counted 2024
Last inspectedFebruary 2024every 24 months

Location

StateTexas
CountyJim Wells
LocationBus 281 @ SH 44
CarriesBus 281
CrossesSH 44 & Tex-mex Rr
Coordinates27.74742, -98.08383

Physical Characteristics

MaterialPrestressed Concrete
DesignStringer/Multi-beam
Total Length782.2 ft (238.4 m)
Max Span89.9 ft (27.4 m)
Deck Width67.3 ft (20.5 m)
Deck Area4887.2 sq m
Main Spans1
Year Built1937 (reconstructed 1983)

Traffic

Avg Daily Traffic6,804 (2024)
Truck Traffic5%
Lanes On Bridge4
Lanes Under Bridge5

Inspection & Ownership

Last InspectionFebruary 2024
Inspection FrequencyEvery 24 months
OwnerState Highway Agency
Historical SignificanceBridge is possibly eligible (requires evaluation)
Scour CriticalNot applicable
Structure Number161260025403032

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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