Structure S281 09239 · Howard County, NE

Us281/n92 over Middle Loup River

Carries Us281/n92 over Middle Loup River, 1s ST Paul.

Overall conditionFair

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

How ratings work
Decksets the rating6/9 · Satisfactory
Superstructure8/9 · Very Good
Substructure8/9 · Very Good
Channelnot part of overall8/9 · Very Good
0 failed4 poor6 fair9 excellent

Elevation

Side view, colored by inspection rating
SEMI-TRUCK · 72 FT808 FT OVERALL100 FT0ELEVATION · LENGTHS TO SCALE
Deck 6/9 · sets the ratingSuperstructure 8/9Substructure 8/9

808 ft end to end, longest span 149 ft: about 2.2 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.

Built199432 years old
Length808.1 ft246.3 m
Daily traffic5,285counted 2018
Last inspectedNovember 2024every 24 months

Location

StateNebraska
CountyHoward
Location1s ST Paul
CarriesUs281/n92
CrossesMiddle Loup River
Coordinates41.20320, -98.44520

Physical Characteristics

MaterialSteel Continuous
DesignStringer/Multi-beam
Total Length808.1 ft (246.3 m)
Max Span149.0 ft (45.4 m)
Deck Width44.0 ft (13.4 m)
Deck Area3300.4 sq m
Main Spans7
Year Built1994

Traffic

Avg Daily Traffic5,285 (2018)
Truck Traffic8%
Lanes On Bridge2

Inspection & Ownership

Last InspectionNovember 2024
Inspection FrequencyEvery 24 months
OwnerState Highway Agency
Historical SignificanceBridge is not eligible for the National Register
Scour Critical5 — Stable for scour
Structure NumberS281 09239

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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