Structure 18401 · Tazewell County, VA

Route 16 over Laurel Fork

Carries Route 16 over Laurel Fork, .09mfrrt.601;3.29mtosmycl.

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 overall7/9 · Good
0 failed4 poor6 fair9 excellent

Elevation

Side view, colored by inspection rating
SEMI-TRUCK · 72 FT127 FT OVERALL25 FT0ELEVATION · LENGTHS TO SCALE
Deck 6/9Superstructure 6/9Substructure 5/9 · sets the rating

127 ft end to end, longest span 43 ft. 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 slab bridge.

Built1949rebuilt 2002
Length127.0 ft38.7 m
Daily traffic236counted 2022
Last inspectedSeptember 2023every 24 months

Location

StateVirginia
CountyTazewell
Location.09mfrrt.601;3.29mtosmycl
CarriesRoute 16
CrossesLaurel Fork
Coordinates37.01422, -81.52759

Physical Characteristics

MaterialConcrete Continuous
DesignSlab
Total Length127.0 ft (38.7 m)
Max Span43.0 ft (13.1 m)
Deck Width29.9 ft (9.1 m)
Deck Area352.2 sq m
Main Spans3
Year Built1949 (reconstructed 2002)

Traffic

Avg Daily Traffic236 (2022)
Lanes On Bridge2

Inspection & Ownership

Last InspectionSeptember 2023
Inspection FrequencyEvery 24 months
OwnerState Highway Agency
Historical SignificanceBridge is not eligible for the National Register
Scour Critical5 — Stable for scour
Structure Number000000000018401

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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