These Tri-Cities bridges were rated 'structurally deficient,' see over 60k daily drivers

Data from the National Bridge Inventory rated 16 bridges across the Tri-Cities in "poor" condition, also called "structurally deficient." The NBI tabulated that those bridges see an average of 61,159 vehicles on a daily basis.

Friday's national headlines are fueled by a bridge collapse near Pittsburgh's Frick Park. Ten people have been confirmed injured so far in the incident that happened just before 7 a.m. The Forbes Avenue bridge was covered in fresh snow, while officials say that only three or for vehicles were travelling across it at the time of collapse.

The NBI's last inspection in Sept. 2019 rated that bridge in Poor condition and in need of repair or corrective action. the structural evaluation was rated at a 4 (out of 9) which met the "minimum tolerable limits to be left in place as is."

There are at least 16 bridges with similar ratings across the Tri-Cities.

Dinwiddie County has the most structurally deficient bridges in the Tri-Cities at eight. Four of those bridges were rated at a 4 for their structural evaluation, and four were rated a 3. A further 14 bridges were listed as needing repair or corrective action. All of the deficient bridges are managed by the Virginia Department of Transportation, according to the data.

Dinwiddie County - structurally deficient bridges

• Claiborne Road over Hatcher Run - VDOT - 440 daily traffic - Structural Evaluation: 3 (Basically intolerable, high priority corrective action) -
  Deck Geometry: 2 (Basically intolerable, high priority replacement)

• Carson Road over CSX Transp right of way - VDOT - 3,816 daily traffic - Structural evaluation: 4 (Meets minimum tolerable limits to be left in place) - Deck Geometry: 2 (Basically intolerable, high priority replacement)

• Coleman's Lake Rd. over White Oak Creek - VDOT - 620 daily traffic - Structural Evaluation: 3 (Basically intolerable, high priority corrective action) - Deck Geometry: 2 (Basically intolerable, high priority replacement)

• Wilkinson Road over Chamberlain's Bed Creek - VDOT - 660 daily traffic - Structural Evaluation: 3 (Basically intolerable, high priority corrective action) - Deck Geometry: 2 (Basically intolerable, high priority replacement)

• Bain Road over Horsepen Branch - VDOT - 227 daily traffic -
  Structural Evaluation: 3 (Basically intolerable, high priority corrective action) - Deck Geometry: 4 (Minimum tolerable limits to be left in place)

• Wilson Road over Namozine Creek - VDOT - 230 daily traffic -
  Structural Evaluation: 4 (Minimum tolerable limits to be left in place) -
  Deck Geometry: 4 (Minimum tolerable limits to be left in place)

• Cox Road WBL over N&S Railway - VDOT - 2,900 daily traffic -
  Structural Evaluation: 4 (Minimum tolerable limits to be left in place) -
  Deck Geometry: 7 (Better than present minimum criteria)

• Continental Road over Butterwood Creek - VDOT - 80 daily traffic -
  Structural Evaluation: 4 (Minimum tolerable limits to be left in place) -
  Deck Geometry: 6 (Equal to present minimum criteria)

A 4 rating is classified as "advanced section loss, deterioration, spalling or scour," by the NBI. A 3 rating shows " loss of section, deterioration, spalling or scour have seriously affected primary structural components. Local failures are possible. Fatigue cracks in steel or shear cracks in concrete may be present."

Petersburg had the second most structurally deficient bridges at six total. One of those is the St. Andrews Street Bridge, which has been rehabbed and is close to reopening. Of the other five bridges, four were structurally rated at a 4 and one was rated at a 5. Five additional bridges are in need of repair.

Petersburg - structurally deficient bridges

• University Boulevard over Appomattox River Canal - City-owned - 3,079 daily -
  Structural Evaluation: 4 (Minimum tolerable limits to be left in place) -
  Deck Geometry: 2 (Basically intolerable. High priority for replacement)

• Fort Lee Road over Interstate 85 - VDOT - 3,000 daily traffic -
  Structural Evaluation: 4 (Minimum tolerable limits to be left in place) -
  Deck Geometry: 3 (Basically intolerable, high priority corrective action)

• Oak Hill Road over Unnamed Tributary - City-owned - 500 daily traffic
  Structural Evaluation: 4 (Minimum tolerable limits to be left in place) -
  Deck Geometry: Not applicable

• I-95 over Routes 301 and 460 - VDOT - 37,928 daily traffic -
  Structural Evaluation: 5 (Somewhat better than minimum adequacy) -
  Deck Geometry: 6 (Equal to present minimum criteria)

• Sycamore Street over Lieutenant Run - City-owned - 5,515 daily traffic -
  Structural Evaluation: 4 (Minimum tolerable limits to be left in place) -
  Deck Geometry: Not applicable

• St. Andrew Street Bridge - closed and in the process of renovation

Two Bridges in Prince George County were listed as structurally deficient, and a further 16 were in need of repair or corrective action. Structural evaluations for the deficient bridges rated a 4 and a 5, though deck geometry for one is basically intolerable, requiring a high degree of corrective action.

Prince George County - structurally deficient bridges

• Golf Course Road over Baxter Pond Run - VDOT - 1,524 daily traffic -
  Structural Evaluation: 4 (Minimum tolerable limits to be left in place) -
  Deck Geometry: 3 (Basically intolerable, priority corrective action)

• Gary's Church Road over Interstate 95 - VDOT - 640 daily traffic -
  Structural Evaluation: 5 (Somewhat better than minimum adequacy) -
  Deck Geometry: 4 (Meets minimum tolerable limits)

Neither Hopewell nor Colonial Heights had a deficient bridge. See the region's data here.

You can reach Sean Jones at sjones@progress-index.com. Follow him at @SeanJones_PI. Follow The Progress-Index on Twitter at @ProgressIndex.

This article originally appeared on The Progress-Index: National Bridge Inventory lists 16 Tri-Cities bridges as 'poor'