Structure 17631 · Smyth County, VA

Elswick Bridge Rd. over S Fork Holston River

Carries Elswick Bridge Rd. over S Fork Holston River, .8 To R605 & .1 To R762.

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 overall6/9 · Satisfactory
0 failed4 poor6 fair9 excellent

Elevation

Side view, colored by inspection rating
SEMI-TRUCK · 72 FT123 FT OVERALL25 FT0ELEVATION · LENGTHS TO SCALE
Deck 7/9Superstructure 7/9Substructure 7/9

123 ft end to end, longest span 80 ft. 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.

Built198541 years old
Length123.0 ft37.5 m
Daily traffic389counted 2022
Last inspectedOctober 2024every 24 months

Location

StateVirginia
CountySmyth
Location.8 To R605 & .1 To R762
CarriesElswick Bridge Rd.
CrossesS Fork Holston River
Coordinates36.74806, -81.66607

Physical Characteristics

MaterialSteel
DesignStringer/Multi-beam
Total Length123.0 ft (37.5 m)
Max Span80.1 ft (24.4 m)
Deck Width29.9 ft (9.1 m)
Deck Area341.2 sq m
Main Spans3
Year Built1985

Traffic

Avg Daily Traffic389 (2022)
Lanes On Bridge2

Inspection & Ownership

Last InspectionOctober 2024
Inspection FrequencyEvery 24 months
OwnerState Highway Agency
Historical SignificanceBridge is not eligible for the National Register
Scour Critical8 — Stable, low risk
Structure Number000000000017631

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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