Structure 4703 · Windham County, CT

Cotton Bridge ST over Quinebaug River

Carries Cotton Bridge ST over Quinebaug River, 1850 From Jct Lake Road.

Overall conditionPoor

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

How ratings work
Decksets the rating4/9 · Poor
Superstructure5/9 · Fair
Substructure6/9 · Satisfactory
Channelnot part of overall6/9 · Satisfactory
0 failed4 poor6 fair9 excellent

Elevation

Side view, colored by inspection rating
SEMI-TRUCK · 72 FT151 FT OVERALL25 FT0ELEVATION · LENGTHS TO SCALE
Deck 4/9 · sets the ratingSuperstructure 5/9Substructure 6/9

151 ft end to end, longest span 73 ft: about 2 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 multi-beam bridge.

Built195670 years old
Length150.6 ft45.9 m
Daily traffic151counted 2024
Last inspectedJuly 2024every 24 months

Location

StateConnecticut
CountyWindham
Location1850 From Jct Lake Road
CarriesCotton Bridge ST
CrossesQuinebaug River
Coordinates41.85870, -71.92412

Physical Characteristics

MaterialSteel Continuous
DesignStringer/Multi-beam
Total Length150.6 ft (45.9 m)
Max Span72.8 ft (22.2 m)
Deck Width17.4 ft (5.3 m)
Deck Area243.3 sq m
Main Spans2
Year Built1956

Traffic

Avg Daily Traffic151 (2024)
Truck Traffic7%
Lanes On Bridge1

Inspection & Ownership

Last InspectionJuly 2024
Inspection FrequencyEvery 24 months
OwnerTown/Township Highway Agency
Historical SignificanceBridge is not eligible for the National Register
Scour Critical8 — Stable, low risk
Structure Number04703

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.

Nearby Bridges