National Bridge Inventory: Louisiana
- Of the 12,733 bridges in the state, 1,571, or 12.3 percent, are classified as structurally deficient. This means one of the key elements is in poor or worse condition.
- This is down from 1,678 bridges classified as structurally deficient in 2018.
- The deck area of structurally deficient bridges accounts for 7.6 percent of total deck area on all structures.
- 50 of the structurally deficient bridges are on the Interstate Highway System. A total of 91.2 percent of the structurally deficient bridges are not on the National Highway System, which includes the Interstate and other key roads linking major airports, ports, rail and truck terminals.
- 2,047 bridges are posted for load, which may restrict the size and weight of vehicles crossing the structure.
- The state has identified needed repairs on 3,170 bridges at an estimated cost of $9.3 billion.
- This compares to 3,347 bridges that needed work in 2018.
County | Year Built | Daily Crossings | Type of Bridge | Location |
---|
Calcasieu | 1952 | 86,600 | Urban Interstate | Calcasieu River Bridge |
Caddo | 1965 | 84,672 | Urban Interstate | I20 over St. Louis & SW RR |
Jefferson | 1967 | 65,250 | Urban Interstate | I10 over Vet Mem Hwy |
Jefferson | 1967 | 65,250 | Urban Interstate | I10 over Vet Mem Hwy |
Calcasieu | 1954 | 62,300 | Rural Interstate | I10 over Sabine Relief |
Jefferson | 1957 | 54,200 | Urban other principal arterial | La3046 over R/R,City Streets,La 611 |
Caddo | 1965 | 48,450 | Urban Interstate | I20 over Marshall St/La 1/RRs. |
Jefferson | 1987 | 48,300 | Urban Interstate | US90-B over Harvey Canal/Sts/RR |
Bossier | 1966 | 45,300 | Urban Interstate | I20 over STL&SW-KCS RR/Westerfiel |
Bossier | 1966 | 45,300 | Urban Interstate | I20 over STL&SW-KCS RR/Westerfiel |
Lincoln | 1963 | 43,700 | Urban Interstate | I20 over Creek |
East Baton Rouge | 1960 | 40,700 | Urban other principal arterial | US0190 over Creek |
Calcasieu | 1977 | 36,900 | Urban Interstate | I0210 over I10 WB to I210 SB |
Orleans | 1967 | 34,450 | Rural Interstate | I10 over Drain Canal |
Orleans | 1967 | 34,450 | Rural Interstate | I10 over Drain Canal |
Terrebonne | 1954 | 34,400 | Urban minor arterial | La0182 over Bayou Terrebonne |
Orleans | 1967 | 33,050 | Rural Interstate | I10 over Drain Canal |
Lafayette | 1958 | 32,900 | Urban other principal arterial | US0167 over Coulee Mine |
Orleans | 1957 | 32,700 | Urban other principal arterial | La39 over Inner Harbor Nav Canal |
Caddo | 1965 | 31,800 | Urban Interstate | I20 over Lk Shore Dr&Kesrr |
West Baton Rouge | 1969 | 31,450 | Urban Interstate | I10 over I-10 over LA 415-Westove |
Orleans | 1973 | 31,300 | Urban other principal arterial | La47 over Bayou Bienvenue |
Lafayette | 1958 | 29,200 | Urban other principal arterial | US0167 over Coulee Mine Br |
Orleans | 1969 | 28,550 | Rural local road | Unnamed Rd over I-10 |
Orleans | 1969 | 28,550 | Rural local road | Unnamed Rd over I-10 |
Type of Bridge | Number of Bridges | Area of All Bridges (sq. meters) |
Daily Crossings on All Bridges | Number of Structurally Deficient Bridges | Area of Structurally Deficient Bridges (sq. meters) |
Daily Crossings on Structurally Deficient Bridges |
---|
Rural Interstate | 573 | 3,001,551 | 9,274,431 | 12 | 86,348 | 290,920 |
Rural arterial | 629 | 1,235,069 | 3,853,292 | 25 | 31,442 | 126,150 |
Rural minor arterial | 1,472 | 1,194,261 | 3,847,079 | 115 | 153,758 | 246,511 |
Rural major collector | 1,770 | 997,835 | 3,408,128 | 222 | 116,532 | 347,828 |
Rural minor collector | 1,058 | 387,205 | 1,000,137 | 160 | 48,668 | 129,701 |
Rural local road | 3,692 | 884,149 | 2,931,639 | 749 | 140,151 | 478,526 |
Urban Interstate | 995 | 4,729,787 | 28,756,324 | 38 | 287,112 | 896,792 |
Urban freeway/expressway | 160 | 821,697 | 2,558,922 | 2 | 67,961 | 24,800 |
Urban other principal arterial | 572 | 2,099,088 | 9,803,669 | 47 | 167,501 | 788,620 |
Urban minor arterial | 490 | 516,028 | 4,709,404 | 57 | 85,016 | 529,621 |
Urban collector | 361 | 185,920 | 1,566,973 | 51 | 17,944 | 192,248 |
Urban local road | 961 | 667,558 | 4,242,890 | 93 | 71,109 | 223,427 |
Total | 12,733 | 16,720,148 | 75,952,888 | 1,571 | 1,273,540 | 4,275,144 |
Type of Work | Number of Bridges | Cost to Repair (in millions) |
Daily Crossings | Area of Bridges (sq. meters) |
---|---|---|---|---|
Bridge replacement | 2,582 | $8,961 | 18,114,372 | 3,763,684 |
Widening & rehabilitation | 1 | $53 | 22,000 | 30,552 |
Rehabilitation | 506 | $296 | 917,054 | 217,489 |
Deck rehabilitation/replacement | 0 | $0 | 0 | 0 |
Other structural work | 81 | $24 | 39,425 | 19,650 |
Total | 3,170 | $9,334 | 19,092,851 | 4,031,375 |
About the data:
Data and cost estimates are from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) National Bridge Inventory (NBI), downloaded on February 1, 2023. Note that specific conditions on bridges may have changed as a result of recent work or updated inspections.
Effective January 1, 2018, FHWA changed the definition of structurally deficient as part of the final rule on highway and bridge performance measures, published May 20, 2017 pursuant to the 2012 federal aid highway bill Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21). Two measures that were previously used to classify bridges as structurally deficient are no longer used. This includes bridges where the overall structural evaluation was rated in poor or worse condition, or where the adequacy of waterway openings was insufficient.
The new definition limits the classification to bridges where one of the key structural elements—the deck, superstructure, substructure or culverts, are rated in poor or worse condition. During inspection, the conditions of a variety of bridge elements are rated on a scale of 0 (failed condition) to 9 (excellent condition). A rating of 4 is considered “poor” condition.
Cost estimates have been derived by ARTBA, based on 2021 average bridge replacement costs for structures on and off the National Highway System, published by FHWA. Bridge rehabilitation costs are estimated to be 68 percent of replacement costs. A bridge is considered to need repair if the structure has identified repairs as part of the NBI, a repair cost estimate is supplied by the bridge owner or the bridge is classified as structurally deficient. Please note that for a few states, the number of bridges needing to be repaired can vary significantly from year to year, and reflects the data entered by the state.
Bridges are classified by FHWA into types based on the functional classification of the roadway on the bridge. Interstates comprise routes officially designated by the Secretary of Transportation. Other principal arterials serve major centers of urban areas or provide mobility through rural areas. Freeways and expressways have directional lanes generally separated by a physical barrier, and access/egress points generally limited to on- and off-ramps. Minor arterials serve smaller areas and are used for trips of moderate length. Collectors funnel traffic from local roads to the arterial network; major collectors have higher speed limits and traffic volumes and are longer in length and spaced at greater intervals, while minor collectors are shorter and provide service to smaller communities. Local roads do not carry through traffic and are intended for short distance travel.
8
Compared to 6 in 2021
in the nation in % of structurally deficient bridges
1. West Virginia | 20.0% |
---|---|
7. Puerto Rico | 13.0% |
8. Louisiana | 12.0% |
9. Michigan | 11.0% |
7
Compared to 7 in 2021
in the nation in # of structurally deficient bridges
1. Iowa | 4,604 |
---|---|
6. New York | 1,611 |
7. Louisiana | 1,571 |
8. California | 1,547 |
13
Compared to 11 in 2021
in the nation in % of structurally deficient bridge deck area
1. Rhode Island | 17.0% |
---|---|
12. Washington | 8.0% |
13. Louisiana | 8.0% |
14. Wyoming | 7.0% |
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