Structure 47I00400061 · Knox County, TN

I40 over I40 Viaduct/ 7 Rts-cr-rr

Carries I40 over I40 Viaduct/ 7 Rts-cr-rr, Downtown Knoxville.

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 overall7/9 · Good
0 failed4 poor6 fair9 excellent

Elevation

Side view, colored by inspection rating
SEMI-TRUCK · 72 FT2,719 FT OVERALL500 FT0ELEVATION · LENGTHS TO SCALE
Deck 7/9Superstructure 7/9Substructure 7/9

2,719 ft end to end, longest span 115 ft: about 7.6 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.

Built1964rebuilt 2006
Length2718.8 ft828.7 m
Daily traffic115,780counted 2021
Last inspectedNovember 2024every 24 months

Location

StateTennessee
CountyKnox
LocationDowntown Knoxville
CarriesI40
CrossesI40 Viaduct/ 7 Rts-cr-rr
Coordinates35.96881, -83.92770

Physical Characteristics

MaterialSteel Continuous
DesignStringer/Multi-beam
Total Length2718.8 ft (828.7 m)
Max Span115.2 ft (35.1 m)
Deck Width169.6 ft (51.7 m)
Deck Area42843.8 sq m
Main Spans31
Year Built1964 (reconstructed 2006)

Traffic

Avg Daily Traffic115,780 (2021)
Truck Traffic6%
Lanes On Bridge9
Lanes Under Bridge16

Inspection & Ownership

Last InspectionNovember 2024
Inspection FrequencyEvery 24 months
OwnerState Highway Agency
Historical SignificanceHistorical significance is not determined
Scour Critical9 — Foundation above flood level
Structure Number47I00400061

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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