Structure 151630042101007 · Medina County, TX

SH 173 over Francisco Creek

Carries SH 173 over Francisco Creek, 17.36 Mi S Of US 90.

Overall conditionFair

Set by its lowest-rated component: Superstructure at 6 of 9.

How ratings work
Deck7/9 · Good
Superstructuresets the rating6/9 · Satisfactory
Substructure7/9 · Good
Channelnot part of overall6/9 · Satisfactory
0 failed4 poor6 fair9 excellent

Elevation

Side view, colored by inspection rating
SEMI-TRUCK · 72 FT175 FT OVERALL25 FT0ELEVATION · LENGTHS TO SCALE
Deck 7/9Superstructure 6/9 · sets the ratingSubstructure 7/9

175 ft end to end, longest span 35 ft: about 2 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.

Built1938rebuilt 1964
Length174.9 ft53.3 m
Daily traffic4,165counted 2023
Last inspectedAugust 2024every 24 months

Location

StateTexas
CountyMedina
Location17.36 Mi S Of US 90
CarriesSH 173
CrossesFrancisco Creek
Coordinates29.16474, -98.93770

Physical Characteristics

MaterialSteel
DesignStringer/Multi-beam
Total Length174.9 ft (53.3 m)
Max Span35.1 ft (10.7 m)
Deck Width45.6 ft (13.9 m)
Deck Area740.9 sq m
Main Spans5
Year Built1938 (reconstructed 1964)

Traffic

Avg Daily Traffic4,165 (2023)
Truck Traffic11%
Lanes On Bridge2

Inspection & Ownership

Last InspectionAugust 2024
Inspection FrequencyEvery 24 months
OwnerState Highway Agency
Historical SignificanceBridge is possibly eligible (requires evaluation)
Scour Critical9 — Foundation above flood level
Structure Number151630042101007

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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