Structure 200000CE0101010 · Cecil County, MD

Mechanics Valley R over Amtrak

Carries Mechanics Valley R over Amtrak, 0.24 Mi S Of US 40.

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
0 failed4 poor6 fair9 excellent

Elevation

Side view, colored by inspection rating
SEMI-TRUCK · 72 FT283 FT OVERALL50 FT0ELEVATION · LENGTHS TO SCALE
Deck 6/9Superstructure 6/9Substructure 6/9

283 ft end to end, longest span 111 ft: about 4 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.

Built198046 years old
Length283.1 ft86.3 m
Daily traffic6,680counted 2023
Last inspectedAugust 2024every 24 months

Location

StateMaryland
CountyCecil
Location0.24 Mi S Of US 40
CarriesMechanics Valley R
CrossesAmtrak
Coordinates39.60868, -75.93348

Physical Characteristics

MaterialSteel Continuous
DesignStringer/Multi-beam
Total Length283.1 ft (86.3 m)
Max Span110.9 ft (33.8 m)
Deck Width47.2 ft (14.4 m)
Deck Area1242.7 sq m
Main Spans3
Year Built1980

Traffic

Avg Daily Traffic6,680 (2023)
Truck Traffic5%
Lanes On Bridge2

Inspection & Ownership

Last InspectionAugust 2024
Inspection FrequencyEvery 24 months
OwnerCounty Highway Agency
Historical SignificanceBridge is not eligible for the National Register
Scour CriticalNot applicable
Structure Number200000CE0101010

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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