Structure 1555 356 · New Castle County, DE

Library Ave/sr 72 over Amtrak

Carries Library Ave/sr 72 over Amtrak, Newark.

Overall conditionFair

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

How ratings work
Deck7/9 · Good
Superstructuresets the rating6/9 · Satisfactory
Substructuresets the rating6/9 · Satisfactory
0 failed4 poor6 fair9 excellent

Elevation

Side view, colored by inspection rating
SEMI-TRUCK · 72 FT399 FT OVERALL50 FT0ELEVATION · LENGTHS TO SCALE
Deck 7/9Superstructure 6/9 · sets the ratingSubstructure 6/9 · sets the rating

399 ft end to end, longest span 150 ft: about 6 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.

Built197947 years old
Length399.0 ft121.6 m
Daily traffic27,688counted 2022
Last inspectedApril 2024every 24 months

Location

StateDelaware
CountyNew Castle
LocationNewark
CarriesLibrary Ave/sr 72
CrossesAmtrak
Coordinates39.67531, -75.73619

Physical Characteristics

MaterialSteel Continuous
DesignStringer/Multi-beam
Total Length399.0 ft (121.6 m)
Max Span149.9 ft (45.7 m)
Deck Width65.0 ft (19.8 m)
Deck Area2407.7 sq m
Main Spans3
Year Built1979

Traffic

Avg Daily Traffic27,688 (2022)
Truck Traffic7%
Lanes On Bridge2

Inspection & Ownership

Last InspectionApril 2024
Inspection FrequencyEvery 24 months
OwnerState Highway Agency
Historical SignificanceBridge is not eligible for the National Register
Scour CriticalNot applicable
Structure Number1555 356

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