Structure 169-1 · District of Columbia County, DC

I-395 Hov Bridge over Potomac River & Ohio Dr.

Carries I-395 Hov Bridge over Potomac River & Ohio Dr., I-395 Over Potomac R..

Overall conditionFair

Set by its lowest-rated component: Substructure at 5 of 9.

How ratings work
Deck6/9 · Satisfactory
Superstructure6/9 · Satisfactory
Substructuresets the rating5/9 · Fair
Channelnot part of overall5/9 · Fair
0 failed4 poor6 fair9 excellent

Elevation

Side view, colored by inspection rating
SEMI-TRUCK · 72 FT2,483 FT OVERALL500 FT0ELEVATION · LENGTHS TO SCALE
Deck 6/9Superstructure 6/9Substructure 5/9 · sets the rating

2,483 ft end to end, longest span 165 ft: about 6.9 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.

Built1968rebuilt 2001
Length2482.9 ft756.8 m
Daily traffic75,000counted 2007
Last inspectedFebruary 2025every 24 months

Location

StateDistrict of Columbia
CountyDistrict of Columbia
LocationI-395 Over Potomac R.
CarriesI-395 Hov Bridge
CrossesPotomac River & Ohio Dr.
Coordinates38.87900, -77.03830

Physical Characteristics

MaterialSteel Continuous
DesignStringer/Multi-beam
Total Length2482.9 ft (756.8 m)
Max Span165.0 ft (50.3 m)
Deck Width89.9 ft (27.4 m)
Deck Area20736.3 sq m
Main Spans15
Year Built1968 (reconstructed 2001)

Traffic

Avg Daily Traffic75,000 (2007)
Truck Traffic1%
Lanes On Bridge4
Lanes Under Bridge2

Inspection & Ownership

Last InspectionFebruary 2025
Inspection FrequencyEvery 24 months
OwnerState Highway Agency
Historical SignificanceBridge is not eligible for the National Register
Scour Critical5 — Stable for scour
Structure Number0169-1

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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