Structure 390038 · Cherokee County, NC

Us64 over Hiwassee River

Carries Us64 over Hiwassee River, 0.2 Mi.e.jct.sr1544.

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 overall6/9 · Satisfactory
0 failed4 poor6 fair9 excellent

Elevation

Side view, colored by inspection rating
SEMI-TRUCK · 72 FT221 FT OVERALL25 FT0ELEVATION · LENGTHS TO SCALE
Deck 6/9Superstructure 5/9 · sets the ratingSubstructure 6/9

221 ft end to end, longest span 54 ft: about 3 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 multi-beam bridge.

Built195670 years old
Length220.8 ft67.3 m
Daily traffic7,100counted 2022
Last inspectedOctober 2023every 24 months

Location

StateNorth Carolina
CountyCherokee
Location0.2 Mi.e.jct.sr1544
CarriesUs64
CrossesHiwassee River
Coordinates35.05812, -83.94127

Physical Characteristics

MaterialSteel
DesignStringer/Multi-beam
Total Length220.8 ft (67.3 m)
Max Span53.8 ft (16.4 m)
Deck Width33.5 ft (10.2 m)
Deck Area686.5 sq m
Main Spans4
Year Built1956

Traffic

Avg Daily Traffic7,100 (2022)
Truck Traffic8%
Lanes On Bridge2

Inspection & Ownership

Last InspectionOctober 2023
Inspection FrequencyEvery 24 months
OwnerState Highway Agency
Historical SignificanceBridge is not eligible for the National Register
Scour Critical8 — Stable, low risk
Structure Number000000000390038

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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