Structure 161490025401056 · Live Oak County, TX

US 281 NB over Nueces River

Carries US 281 NB over Nueces River, 2.2 Mi S Of SH 72.

Overall conditionFair

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

How ratings work
Decksets the rating6/9 · Satisfactory
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 FT940 FT OVERALL200 FT0ELEVATION · LENGTHS TO SCALE
Deck 6/9 · sets the ratingSuperstructure 6/9 · sets the ratingSubstructure 7/9

940 ft end to end, longest span 125 ft: about 2.6 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 multi-beam bridge.

Built199234 years old
Length940.0 ft286.5 m
Daily traffic4,711counted 2020
Last inspectedJanuary 2024every 24 months

Location

StateTexas
CountyLive Oak
Location2.2 Mi S Of SH 72
CarriesUS 281 NB
CrossesNueces River
Coordinates28.42908, -98.17838

Physical Characteristics

MaterialPrestressed Concrete
DesignStringer/Multi-beam
Total Length940.0 ft (286.5 m)
Max Span125.0 ft (38.1 m)
Deck Width40.0 ft (12.2 m)
Deck Area3495.3 sq m
Main Spans2
Year Built1992

Traffic

Avg Daily Traffic4,711 (2020)
Truck Traffic34%
Lanes On Bridge2

Inspection & Ownership

Last InspectionJanuary 2024
Inspection FrequencyEvery 24 months
OwnerState Highway Agency
Historical SignificanceBridge is not eligible for the National Register
Scour Critical8 — Stable, low risk
Structure Number161490025401056

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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