Bridges in Virginia
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Virginia Roads - VDOTBridgesCulverts ec
The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) has an aggressive bridge inspection and "safety program that goes beyond federal requirements.
Virginia bridges are inspected in accordance with National Bridge Inspection Standards by qualified inspectors.
We continue to inspect and track more than 21,000 bridges and structures. This includes 13,600-plus National Bridge Inventory (NBI) structures and 7,500-plus non-NBI structures in Virginia.
The agency inspects all of its bridges at least once every two
years unless there are issues due to age, deterioration, bridge damage or other concerns.
VDOT conducts between 10,000 and 12,000 bridge inspections each year.
When we find that a bridge has safety issues or structural concerns, action is immediately taken to post weight limits, detour traffic and repair these structures.
The agency has more than 100 staff dedicated to bridge inspection and consultants brought in to augment the bridge inspection program.
Twelve percent of the agency's inspection work is done by consultants.
State of Structures and Bridges - Reports (Fiscal Years)
As of July, 2021,
- Virginia has approximately 21,241 bridges and large culverts in inventory
- Of these, 698 structures are in poor condition
See the State of Structures and Bridges Reports for detailed information for Virginia’s bridges, large culverts and ancillary structures (traffic control devices) for the given Fiscal Year.
Structures in poor condition have a minimum general condition rating of 4 or less, which does not suggest a safety concern, but poor structures typically require repair and eventual rehabilitation to address deficiencies.
Other Links
- American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO)
- National Transportation Safety Board
For More Information
- Performance of large culverts in Virginia
- Bridges and large culvert conditions by VDOT district
- Conditions statewide
- Virginia's covered bridges
- Bridge inspection definitions (104 KB)
- Probability of Transition to Poor Condition for Bridges in Virginia