Structure 1 · District of Columbia County, DC
Carries Chain Bridge over Potomac R. & C&o, Over Potomac River N.w..
Set by its lowest-rated component: Deck and Superstructure and Substructure at 7 of 9.
How ratings work1,383 ft end to end, longest span 172 ft: about 3.8 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 girder bridge.
| State | District of Columbia |
| County | District of Columbia |
| Location | Over Potomac River N.w. |
| Carries | Chain Bridge |
| Crosses | Potomac R. & C&o |
| Coordinates | 38.92944, -77.11697 |
| Material | Steel Continuous |
| Design | Girder and Floorbeam |
| Total Length | 1382.9 ft (421.5 m) |
| Max Span | 171.9 ft (52.4 m) |
| Deck Width | 44.6 ft (13.6 m) |
| Deck Area | 5732.4 sq m |
| Main Spans | 8 |
| Year Built | 1937 (reconstructed 2011) |
| Avg Daily Traffic | 20,600 (2018) |
| Truck Traffic | 2% |
| Lanes On Bridge | 3 |
| Last Inspection | March 2024 |
| Inspection Frequency | Every 24 months |
| Owner | State Highway Agency |
| Historical Significance | Bridge is possibly eligible (requires evaluation) |
| Scour Critical | 5 — Stable for scour |
| Structure Number | 0001 |
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."
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.