Structure 14151 · Audubon County, IA

US 71 over Bluegrass Creek

Carries US 71 over Bluegrass Creek, 0.6 Mi. N Of N Jct SR F32.

Overall conditionFair

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

How ratings work
Decksets the rating6/9 · Satisfactory
Superstructuresets the rating6/9 · Satisfactory
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 FT134 FT OVERALL25 FT0ELEVATION · LENGTHS TO SCALE
Deck 6/9Superstructure 6/9Substructure 6/9

134 ft end to end, longest span 51 ft. 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 slab bridge.

Built197650 years old
Length133.9 ft40.8 m
Daily traffic2,280counted 2022
Last inspectedSeptember 2024every 24 months

Location

StateIowa
CountyAudubon
Location0.6 Mi. N Of N Jct SR F32
CarriesUS 71
CrossesBluegrass Creek
Coordinates41.75473, -94.93781

Physical Characteristics

MaterialConcrete Continuous
DesignSlab
Total Length133.9 ft (40.8 m)
Max Span50.9 ft (15.5 m)
Deck Width47.2 ft (14.4 m)
Deck Area587.5 sq m
Main Spans3
Year Built1976

Traffic

Avg Daily Traffic2,280 (2022)
Truck Traffic15%
Lanes On Bridge2

Inspection & Ownership

Last InspectionSeptember 2024
Inspection FrequencyEvery 24 months
OwnerState Highway Agency
Historical SignificanceBridge is not eligible for the National Register
Scour Critical8 — Stable, low risk
Structure Number000000000014151

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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