Structure 3254S003 · Sussex County, DE

US 13 S & SR 20 E over Nanticoke River

Carries US 13 S & SR 20 E over Nanticoke River, S/w Seaford.

Overall conditionFair

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

How ratings work
Deck7/9 · Good
Superstructure7/9 · Good
Substructuresets the rating6/9 · Satisfactory
Channelnot part of overall7/9 · Good
0 failed4 poor6 fair9 excellent

Elevation

Side view, colored by inspection rating
SEMI-TRUCK · 72 FT328 FT OVERALL50 FT0ELEVATION · LENGTHS TO SCALE
Deck 7/9Superstructure 7/9Substructure 6/9 · sets the rating

328 ft end to end, longest span 45 ft: about 5 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.

Built1951rebuilt 1996
Length327.8 ft99.9 m
Daily traffic15,758counted 2023
Last inspectedAugust 2024every 24 months

Location

StateDelaware
CountySussex
LocationS/w Seaford
CarriesUS 13 S & SR 20 E
CrossesNanticoke River
Coordinates38.64327, -75.59379

Physical Characteristics

MaterialSteel
DesignStringer/Multi-beam
Total Length327.8 ft (99.9 m)
Max Span44.6 ft (13.6 m)
Deck Width34.1 ft (10.4 m)
Deck Area1039.0 sq m
Main Spans9
Year Built1951 (reconstructed 1996)

Traffic

Avg Daily Traffic15,758 (2023)
Truck Traffic8%
Lanes On Bridge2

Inspection & Ownership

Last InspectionAugust 2024
Inspection FrequencyEvery 24 months
OwnerState Highway Agency
Historical SignificanceBridge is not eligible for the National Register
Scour Critical5 — Stable for scour
Structure Number3254S003

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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