Structure 150460025303047 · Comal County, TX

US 281 Nbml over Guadalupe River

Carries US 281 Nbml over Guadalupe River, 3.95 Mi N Of SH 46.

Overall conditionFair

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

How ratings work
Decksets the rating6/9 · Satisfactory
Superstructure7/9 · Good
Substructuresets the rating6/9 · Satisfactory
Channelnot part of overall6/9 · Satisfactory
0 failed4 poor6 fair9 excellent

Elevation

Side view, colored by inspection rating
SEMI-TRUCK · 72 FT622 FT OVERALL100 FT0ELEVATION · LENGTHS TO SCALE
Deck 6/9 · sets the ratingSuperstructure 7/9Substructure 6/9 · sets the rating

622 ft end to end, longest span 150 ft: about 1.7 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.

Built196363 years old
Length622.0 ft189.6 m
Daily traffic23,971counted 2020
Last inspectedJune 2024every 24 months

Location

StateTexas
CountyComal
Location3.95 Mi N Of SH 46
CarriesUS 281 Nbml
CrossesGuadalupe River
Coordinates29.85357, -98.40756

Physical Characteristics

MaterialSteel Continuous
DesignStringer/Multi-beam
Total Length622.0 ft (189.6 m)
Max Span149.9 ft (45.7 m)
Deck Width33.1 ft (10.1 m)
Deck Area1915.0 sq m
Main Spans3
Year Built1963

Traffic

Avg Daily Traffic23,971 (2020)
Truck Traffic4%
Lanes On Bridge2

Inspection & Ownership

Last InspectionJune 2024
Inspection FrequencyEvery 24 months
OwnerState Highway Agency
Historical SignificanceBridge is possibly eligible (requires evaluation)
Scour Critical8 — Stable, low risk
Structure Number150460025303047

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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