Structure 120200100401006 · Brazoria County, TX

FM 521 over San Bernard River

Carries FM 521 over San Bernard River, 2.50 Mi S Of SH 36.

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 overall7/9 · Good
0 failed4 poor6 fair9 excellent

Elevation

Side view, colored by inspection rating
SEMI-TRUCK · 72 FT881 FT OVERALL100 FT0ELEVATION · LENGTHS TO SCALE
Deck 6/9Superstructure 6/9Substructure 6/9

881 ft end to end, longest span 140 ft: about 2.4 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 multi-beam bridge.

Built1960rebuilt 2005
Length880.9 ft268.5 m
Daily traffic9,726counted 2016
Last inspectedDecember 2024every 24 months

Location

StateTexas
CountyBrazoria
Location2.50 Mi S Of SH 36
CarriesFM 521
CrossesSan Bernard River
Coordinates29.01105, -95.58823

Physical Characteristics

MaterialSteel Continuous
DesignStringer/Multi-beam
Total Length880.9 ft (268.5 m)
Max Span140.1 ft (42.7 m)
Deck Width45.9 ft (14 m)
Deck Area3,759 sq m
Main Spans3
Year Built1960 (reconstructed 2005)

Traffic

Avg Daily Traffic9,726 (2016)
Truck Traffic4%
Lanes On Bridge2

Inspection & Ownership

Last InspectionDecember 2024
Inspection FrequencyEvery 24 months
OwnerState Highway Agency
Historical SignificanceBridge is possibly eligible (requires evaluation)
Scour Critical8 — Stable, low risk
Structure Number120200100401006

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