Structure U08113000+02381 · Missoula County, MT

S Higgins AVE over Clark Fork R-ped Paths

Carries S Higgins AVE over Clark Fork R-ped Paths, Missoula-s Higgins AVE.

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
Channelnot part of overall6/9 · Satisfactory
0 failed4 poor6 fair9 excellent

Elevation

Side view, colored by inspection rating
SEMI-TRUCK · 72 FT974 FT OVERALL200 FT0ELEVATION · LENGTHS TO SCALE
Deck 7/9Superstructure 6/9 · sets the ratingSubstructure 6/9 · sets the rating

974 ft end to end, longest span 172 ft: about 2.7 football fields. 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 girder bridge.

Built1962rebuilt 2022
Length973.8 ft296.8 m
Daily traffic11,197counted 2023
Last inspectedJune 2024every 24 months

Location

StateMontana
CountyMissoula
LocationMissoula-s Higgins AVE
CarriesS Higgins AVE
CrossesClark Fork R-ped Paths
Coordinates46.86824, -113.99644

Physical Characteristics

MaterialSteel Continuous
DesignGirder and Floorbeam
Total Length973.8 ft (296.8 m)
Max Span171.9 ft (52.4 m)
Deck Width75.5 ft (23 m)
Deck Area6826.4 sq m
Main Spans3
Year Built1962 (reconstructed 2022)

Traffic

Avg Daily Traffic11,197 (2023)
Lanes On Bridge4
Lanes Under Bridge2

Inspection & Ownership

Last InspectionJune 2024
Inspection FrequencyEvery 24 months
OwnerState Highway Agency
Historical SignificanceBridge is not eligible for the National Register
Scour Critical8 — Stable, low risk
Structure NumberU08113000+02381

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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