Structure 311 · Jefferson County, AL

Old U.s. 280 over Cahaba River

Carries Old U.s. 280 over Cahaba River, Old 280 * Cahaba River.

Overall conditionFair

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

How ratings work
Decksets the rating5/9 · Fair
Superstructure6/9 · Satisfactory
Substructure6/9 · Satisfactory
Channelnot part of overall5/9 · Fair
0 failed4 poor6 fair9 excellent

Elevation

Side view, colored by inspection rating
SEMI-TRUCK · 72 FT320 FT OVERALL50 FT0ELEVATION · LENGTHS TO SCALE
Deck 5/9 · sets the ratingSuperstructure 6/9Substructure 6/9

320 ft end to end, longest span 66 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.

Built1925101 years old
Length319.9 ft97.5 m
Daily traffic6,000counted 2014
Last inspectedDecember 2024every 24 months

Location

StateAlabama
CountyJefferson
LocationOld 280 * Cahaba River
CarriesOld U.s. 280
CrossesCahaba River
Coordinates33.43167, -86.71333

Physical Characteristics

MaterialSteel
DesignStringer/Multi-beam
Total Length319.9 ft (97.5 m)
Max Span65.9 ft (20.1 m)
Deck Width26.9 ft (8.2 m)
Deck Area799.5 sq m
Main Spans2
Year Built1925

Traffic

Avg Daily Traffic6,000 (2014)
Truck Traffic1%
Lanes On Bridge2

Inspection & Ownership

Last InspectionDecember 2024
Inspection FrequencyEvery 24 months
OwnerCity/Municipal Highway Agency
Historical SignificanceBridge is not eligible for the National Register
Scour Critical5 — Stable for scour
Structure Number000311

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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