Structure 211090086105008 · Hidalgo County, TX

FM 491 over Arroyo Colorado

Carries FM 491 over Arroyo Colorado, 1.50 Mi S Of Bu 83.

Overall conditionFair

Set by its lowest-rated component: Substructure at 6 of 9.

How ratings work
Deck7/9 · Good
Superstructure7/9 · Good
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 FT243 FT OVERALL50 FT0ELEVATION · LENGTHS TO SCALE
Deck 7/9Superstructure 7/9Substructure 6/9 · sets the rating

243 ft end to end, longest span 30 ft: about 3 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.

Built1957rebuilt 2002
Length243.1 ft74.1 m
Daily traffic4,190counted 2024
Last inspectedMay 2023every 24 months

Location

StateTexas
CountyHidalgo
Location1.50 Mi S Of Bu 83
CarriesFM 491
CrossesArroyo Colorado
Coordinates26.12782, -97.90154

Physical Characteristics

MaterialConcrete
DesignStringer/Multi-beam
Total Length243.1 ft (74.1 m)
Max Span29.9 ft (9.1 m)
Deck Width50.2 ft (15.3 m)
Deck Area1133.7 sq m
Main Spans8
Year Built1957 (reconstructed 2002)

Traffic

Avg Daily Traffic4,190 (2024)
Truck Traffic3%
Lanes On Bridge2

Inspection & Ownership

Last InspectionMay 2023
Inspection FrequencyEvery 24 months
OwnerState Highway Agency
Historical SignificanceBridge is possibly eligible (requires evaluation)
Scour Critical6 — Scour calculated, stable
Structure Number211090086105008

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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