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Structurally deficient bridge report for 14th Congressional District

The I-85 bridge collapse once again has bridge stability at the forefront of the news, though stability was not the cause of the fire or the collapse.

Pro Roof GA

Even still, structurally deficient bridges plague the state of Georgia. Structurally deficient is defined as a bridge having one or more key elements in “poor” or worse condition – deck, superstructure, substructure, etc.

Of the 14,790 bridges in Georgia, 729 of are classified by ARTBA as structurally deficient — that is about 5 percent of the Peach State’s bridges.

Up here in Georgia’s 14th Congressional District, which includes Catoosa, Chattooga, Dade, Floyd, Gordon, Haralson, Murray Paulding, Pickens, Polk, Walker and Whitfield counties, is home to 1,323 bridges of which 101 or 8% are classified as structurally deficient. This means one or more of the key bridge elements, such as the deck, superstructure or substructure, is considered to be in “poor” or worse condition.

Even more interesting, according to the American Road and Transporation Builders Association:

  • 128 bridges, or 10%, are classified as functionally obsolete. This means the bridge does not meet design standards in line with current practice.
  • 175 bridges are posted for load, which may restrict the size and weight of vehicles crossing the structure.
  • Over the last 10 years, 72 new bridges have been constructed in the counties in this district; 2 have undergone major reconstruction.
  • The state has identified needed repairs on 1,304 bridges in the counties in this district, which the state estimates will cost $2 billion.
Here is the list of the top most traveled structurally deficient bridges in the 14th Congressional District:
County Year Built Daily Crossings Type of Bridge3 Location
Floyd 1947 23,080 Urban other principal arterial SR 1 – US 27 over Big Dry Creek
Whitfield 1962 13,870 Rural major collector Carbondale Road over I-75
Floyd 1915 13,060 Urban minor arterial Broad Street over Etowah River
Haralson 1976 8,500 Rural major collector Atlantic Avenue over I-20
Whitfield 1927 7,780 Rural minor arterial US 41 over Little Swamp Creek
Catoosa 1938 7,400 Rural minor arterial US 41 / SR 3 over Tiger Creek
Gordon 1949 7,380 Rural minor arterial US 41/ SR 3 over Lynn Creek
Dade 1942 7,210 Rural minor arterial SR 136 over Norsouthern RR (725782V)
Whitfield 1957 6,690 Rural major collector Dawnville Road over Coahulla Creek
Dade 1965 5,910 Rural major collector SR 299 over I-24 (SR 409)
Floyd 1978 5,810 Urban minor arterial Kingston Avenue over Ns Railroad (719097
Floyd 1931 5,580 Urban minor arterial Calhoun Road over Zuber Creek
Murray 1925 4,840 Rural minor arterial US 411 SR 61 over Sumac Creek
Gordon 1955 4,770 Rural minor arterial SR 225 over Coosawattee River
Whitfield 1937 4,610 Urban collector Gordon Street over Ns Railroad (719083G)
Polk 1948 3,770 Urban collector North College St over Cedar Creek Trib
Catoosa 1965 3,670 Rural major collector Three Notch Road over Peavine Creek
Whitfield 1942 3,630 Urban minor arterial SR 201 over Tanyard Creek
Polk 1918 3,450 Urban collector College Street over CSX Railroad
Floyd 1974 3,210 Urban local road Walnut Avenue over Ns Railroad(719109G)
Murray 1962 2,580 Rural minor arterial US 411/SR 61 over Cr 182- CSX RR (340636X)
Walker 1980 2,580 Rural minor collector Red Belt Road over West Chickamauga Creek
Chattooga 1937 1,930 Rural minor arterial SR 48 over East Fork Little River
Whitfield 1941 1,768 Urban local road Reed Pond Road over Poplar Spring Creek
Floyd 1987 1,430 Urban collector Mathis Drive over Little Dry Creek Trib.

Casie Bryant is the NW Georgia Regional Manager for AllOnGeorgia.

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