Structure 211090G00090001 · Hidalgo County, TX

US 281 SB over Rio Grande River

Carries US 281 SB over Rio Grande River, Hidalgo Inte (old Bridge).

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 overall8/9 · Very Good
0 failed4 poor6 fair9 excellent

Elevation

Side view, colored by inspection rating
SEMI-TRUCK · 72 FT524 FT OVERALL100 FT0ELEVATION · LENGTHS TO SCALE
Deck 6/9 · sets the ratingSuperstructure 7/9Substructure 6/9 · sets the rating

524 ft end to end, longest span 151 ft: about 7 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 bridge of this kind.

Built196561 years old
Length524.0 ft159.7 m
Daily traffic17,283counted 2018
Last inspectedNovember 2023every 24 months

Location

StateTexas
CountyHidalgo
LocationHidalgo Inte (old Bridge)
CarriesUS 281 SB
CrossesRio Grande River
Coordinates26.09535, -98.27187

Physical Characteristics

MaterialPrestressed Concrete
DesignOther
Total Length524.0 ft (159.7 m)
Max Span150.9 ft (46 m)
Deck Width56.1 ft (17.1 m)
Deck Area2730.9 sq m
Main Spans3
Year Built1965

Traffic

Avg Daily Traffic17,283 (2018)
Truck Traffic2%
Lanes On Bridge4

Inspection & Ownership

Last InspectionNovember 2023
Inspection FrequencyEvery 24 months
OwnerCity/Municipal Highway Agency
Historical SignificanceBridge is eligible for the National Register
Scour Critical8 — Stable, low risk
Structure Number211090G00090001

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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