Structure M1581 · Prairie County, AR

SH 86 Log 3.79 over Wattensaw Bayou

Carries SH 86 Log 3.79 over Wattensaw Bayou, 3.8 Mi S Jct SH 38.

Overall conditionPoor

Set by its lowest-rated component: Deck and Superstructure and Substructure at 4 of 9.

How ratings work
Decksets the rating4/9 · Poor
Superstructuresets the rating4/9 · Poor
Substructuresets the rating4/9 · Poor
Channelnot part of overall5/9 · Fair
0 failed4 poor6 fair9 excellent

Elevation

Side view, colored by inspection rating
SEMI-TRUCK · 72 FT237 FT OVERALL50 FT0ELEVATION · LENGTHS TO SCALE
Deck 4/9Superstructure 4/9Substructure 4/9

237 ft end to end, longest span 15 ft: about 3 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.

Built1945rebuilt 1967
Length236.9 ft72.2 m
Daily traffic190counted 2018
Last inspectedJuly 2024every 12 months

Location

StateArkansas
CountyPrairie
Location3.8 Mi S Jct SH 38
CarriesSH 86 Log 3.79
CrossesWattensaw Bayou
Coordinates34.94146, -91.65520

Physical Characteristics

MaterialWood or Timber
DesignStringer/Multi-beam
Total Length236.9 ft (72.2 m)
Max Span15.1 ft (4.6 m)
Deck Width25.3 ft (7.7 m)
Deck Area555.9 sq m
Main Spans16
Year Built1945 (reconstructed 1967)

Traffic

Avg Daily Traffic190 (2018)
Truck Traffic1%
Lanes On Bridge2

Inspection & Ownership

Last InspectionJuly 2024
Inspection FrequencyEvery 12 months
OwnerState Highway Agency
Historical SignificanceBridge is eligible for the National Register
Scour Critical5 — Stable for scour
Structure Number0000000000M1581

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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