Structure 3974 · Polk County, IA

SW 8th ST over Rr Cherry Mlk Jr PKWY

Carries SW 8th ST over Rr Cherry Mlk Jr PKWY, 078240900.

Overall conditionPoor

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

How ratings work
Deck5/9 · Fair
Superstructuresets the rating4/9 · Poor
Substructure5/9 · Fair
0 failed4 poor6 fair9 excellent

Elevation

Side view, colored by inspection rating
SEMI-TRUCK · 72 FT1,515 FT OVERALL250 FT0ELEVATION · LENGTHS TO SCALE
Deck 5/9Superstructure 4/9 · sets the ratingSubstructure 5/9

1,515 ft end to end, longest span 157 ft: about 4.2 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.

Built1967rebuilt 2006
Length1515.1 ft461.8 m
Daily traffic6,875counted 2022
Last inspectedJuly 2023every 24 months

Location

StateIowa
CountyPolk
Location078240900
CarriesSW 8th ST
CrossesRr Cherry Mlk Jr PKWY
Coordinates41.57988, -93.62505

Physical Characteristics

MaterialSteel Continuous
DesignGirder and Floorbeam
Total Length1515.1 ft (461.8 m)
Max Span157.2 ft (47.9 m)
Deck Width31.2 ft (9.5 m)
Deck Area4387.1 sq m
Main Spans3
Year Built1967 (reconstructed 2006)

Traffic

Avg Daily Traffic6,875 (2022)
Truck Traffic1%
Lanes On Bridge2
Lanes Under Bridge6

Inspection & Ownership

Last InspectionJuly 2023
Inspection FrequencyEvery 24 months
OwnerCity/Municipal Highway Agency
Historical SignificanceBridge is not eligible for the National Register
Scour CriticalNot applicable
Structure Number000000000003974

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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