Structure 211090G00090002 · Hidalgo County, TX

US 281 NB over Rio Grande River

Carries US 281 NB over Rio Grande River, Hidalgo Intl (new Bridge).

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 FT852 FT OVERALL100 FT0ELEVATION · LENGTHS TO SCALE
Deck 7/9Superstructure 7/9Substructure 6/9 · sets the rating

852 ft end to end, longest span 101 ft: about 2.4 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 bridge of this kind.

Built198739 years old
Length852.0 ft259.7 m
Daily traffic17,283counted 2018
Last inspectedNovember 2023every 24 months

Location

StateTexas
CountyHidalgo
LocationHidalgo Intl (new Bridge)
CarriesUS 281 NB
CrossesRio Grande River
Coordinates26.09502, -98.27113

Physical Characteristics

MaterialPrestressed Concrete
DesignOther
Total Length852.0 ft (259.7 m)
Max Span101.0 ft (30.8 m)
Deck Width53.8 ft (16.4 m)
Deck Area4259.1 sq m
Main Spans9
Year Built1987

Traffic

Avg Daily Traffic17,283 (2018)
Truck Traffic12%
Lanes On Bridge4

Inspection & Ownership

Last InspectionNovember 2023
Inspection FrequencyEvery 24 months
OwnerCity/Municipal Highway Agency
Historical SignificanceBridge is not eligible for the National Register
Scour Critical8 — Stable, low risk
Structure Number211090G00090002

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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