State of Structures and Bridges
The Commonwealth of Virginia is responsible for approximately 21,241 structures (described as VA Responsible Structures). These VA Responsible Structures include both bridges of any length and large culverts with total openings greater than 36 square feet (referred to as large culverts). Of these structures, approximately 19,649 are owned by VDOT, while the remainders are owned by other legal entities, including localities, state agencies and toll authorities. The majority of these structures are on secondary routes, and the vast majority of these are owned by VDOT. VDOT’s control of secondary routes is due in large part to the Byrd Act of 1932, which transferred ownership of most county-owned secondary roads and bridges to the state. This is a departure from the practice in most states, where most secondary roads are under local jurisdiction. As a result, VDOT has the third largest number of highway structures in its state-owned inventory, behind Texas and North Carolina.
The Mission of the Structure and Bridge Division of VDOT: The Structure and Bridge Division will plan, design, inspect and rehabilitate bridges and structures for a surface transportation system that represents the highest standards of safety and quality. Stewardship, accountability, professionalism, and customer service will guide every action that we take and every decision that we make.
These annual reports summarize the following for Virginia’s bridges, large culverts and ancillary structures (traffic control devices) for the given Fiscal Year: Conditions; VDOT’s bridge maintenance, construction and inspection programs; and accomplishments. The Fiscal Year runs from July 1st to June 30th of the following year (Example: FY2021, which ran from July 1, 2020 through June 30, 2021). All “current” data in this report reflect inventory and condition information as of the last day of the Fiscal Year. Salient historical trends are also provided.
NOTE: All files are in Adobe Portable Document Format unless otherwise indicated.
