Structure 1290013 · New Hanover County, NC

Us17 Us76 Us421 over Cape Fear River

Carries Us17 Us76 Us421 over Cape Fear River, 0.35 Mi.e. Jct. Us133.

Overall conditionFair

Set by its lowest-rated component: Superstructure at 5 of 9.

How ratings work
Deck6/9 · Satisfactory
Superstructuresets the rating5/9 · Fair
Substructure6/9 · Satisfactory
Channelnot part of overall7/9 · Good
0 failed4 poor6 fair9 excellent

Elevation

Side view, colored by inspection rating
SEMI-TRUCK · 72 FT3,033 FT OVERALL500 FT0ELEVATION · LENGTHS TO SCALE
Deck 6/9Superstructure 5/9 · sets the ratingSubstructure 6/9

3,033 ft end to end: about 8.4 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 lift bridge (drawn closed).

Built196957 years old
Length3032.8 ft924.4 m
Daily traffic69,000counted 2021
Last inspectedDecember 2023every 24 months

Location

StateNorth Carolina
CountyNew Hanover
Location0.35 Mi.e. Jct. Us133
CarriesUs17 Us76 Us421
CrossesCape Fear River
Coordinates34.22856, -77.95494

Physical Characteristics

MaterialSteel
DesignMovable - Lift
Total Length3032.8 ft (924.4 m)
Max Span407.8 ft (124.3 m)
Deck Width61.4 ft (18.7 m)
Deck Area17286.3 sq m
Main Spans1
Year Built1969

Traffic

Avg Daily Traffic69,000 (2021)
Truck Traffic12%
Lanes On Bridge4
Lanes Under Bridge12

Inspection & Ownership

Last InspectionDecember 2023
Inspection FrequencyEvery 24 months
OwnerState Highway Agency
Historical SignificanceBridge is not eligible for the National Register
Scour Critical5 — Stable for scour
Structure Number000000001290013

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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