Structure 102120024509008 · Smith County, TX

FM 279 over Neches River

Carries FM 279 over Neches River, At Van Zandt Co Line.

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
Channelnot part of overall6/9 · Satisfactory
0 failed4 poor6 fair9 excellent

Elevation

Side view, colored by inspection rating
SEMI-TRUCK · 72 FT627 FT OVERALL100 FT0ELEVATION · LENGTHS TO SCALE
Deck 6/9Superstructure 6/9Substructure 6/9

627 ft end to end, longest span 28 ft: about 1.7 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 tee-beam bridge.

Built193096 years old
Length627.0 ft191.1 m
Daily traffic2,535counted 2023
Last inspectedMarch 2023every 24 months

Location

StateTexas
CountySmith
LocationAt Van Zandt Co Line
CarriesFM 279
CrossesNeches River
Coordinates32.36468, -95.45350

Physical Characteristics

MaterialConcrete
DesignTee Beam
Total Length627.0 ft (191.1 m)
Max Span27.9 ft (8.5 m)
Deck Width26.9 ft (8.2 m)
Deck Area1567.0 sq m
Main Spans22
Year Built1930

Traffic

Avg Daily Traffic2,535 (2023)
Truck Traffic14%
Lanes On Bridge2

Inspection & Ownership

Last InspectionMarch 2023
Inspection FrequencyEvery 24 months
OwnerState Highway Agency
Historical SignificanceBridge is eligible for the National Register
Scour Critical8 — Stable, low risk
Structure Number102120024509008

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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