Structure 18657 · Tazewell County, VA

Route 717 over Bluestone River

Carries Route 717 over Bluestone River, .01mfrrt.102;.35mtort.643.

Overall conditionGood

Set by its lowest-rated component: Substructure at 7 of 9.

How ratings work
Deck8/9 · Very Good
Superstructure8/9 · Very Good
Substructuresets the rating7/9 · Good
Channelnot part of overall6/9 · Satisfactory
0 failed4 poor6 fair9 excellent

Elevation

Side view, colored by inspection rating
CAR · 15 FT73 FT OVERALL25 FT0ELEVATION · LENGTHS TO SCALE
Deck 8/9Superstructure 8/9Substructure 7/9 · sets the rating

73 ft end to end. Lengths and the car 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.

Built1912rebuilt 2022
Length73.2 ft22.3 m
Daily traffic35counted 2015
Last inspectedJuly 2024every 24 months

Location

StateVirginia
CountyTazewell
Location.01mfrrt.102;.35mtort.643
CarriesRoute 717
CrossesBluestone River
Coordinates37.27145, -81.30505

Physical Characteristics

MaterialSteel
DesignStringer/Multi-beam
Total Length73.2 ft (22.3 m)
Max Span69.9 ft (21.3 m)
Deck Width14.4 ft (4.4 m)
Deck Area98.1 sq m
Main Spans1
Year Built1912 (reconstructed 2022)

Traffic

Avg Daily Traffic35 (2015)
Lanes On Bridge1

Inspection & Ownership

Last InspectionJuly 2024
Inspection FrequencyEvery 24 months
OwnerState Highway Agency
Historical SignificanceBridge is not eligible for the National Register
Scour Critical8 — Stable, low risk
Structure Number000000000018657

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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