Structure 20819 · Shelby County, AL

County RD 52 over Cahaba River

Carries County RD 52 over Cahaba River, CR 52 Over Cahaba River.

Overall conditionGood

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

How ratings work
Decksets the rating7/9 · Good
Superstructure8/9 · Very Good
Substructuresets the rating7/9 · Good
Channelnot part of overall6/9 · Satisfactory
0 failed4 poor6 fair9 excellent

Elevation

Side view, colored by inspection rating
SEMI-TRUCK · 72 FT446 FT OVERALL50 FT0ELEVATION · LENGTHS TO SCALE
Deck 7/9 · sets the ratingSuperstructure 8/9Substructure 7/9 · sets the rating

446 ft end to end, longest span 238 ft: about 6 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.

Built20215 years old
Length445.9 ft135.9 m
Daily traffic15,911counted 2023
Last inspectedDecember 2023every 24 months

Location

StateAlabama
CountyShelby
LocationCR 52 Over Cahaba River
CarriesCounty RD 52
CrossesCahaba River
Coordinates33.28455, -86.88271

Physical Characteristics

MaterialSteel Continuous
DesignStringer/Multi-beam
Total Length445.9 ft (135.9 m)
Max Span237.5 ft (72.4 m)
Deck Width42.3 ft (12.9 m)
Deck Area1753.1 sq m
Main Spans2
Year Built2021

Traffic

Avg Daily Traffic15,911 (2023)
Truck Traffic3%
Lanes On Bridge2

Inspection & Ownership

Last InspectionDecember 2023
Inspection FrequencyEvery 24 months
OwnerCounty Highway Agency
Historical SignificanceBridge is not eligible for the National Register
Scour Critical8 — Stable, low risk
Structure Number020819

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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