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Bridge showing signs of deterioration
Traveling on Interstate 95 in Stafford County, it’s easy to spot the deficiencies on the bridge that carries traffic on American Legion Road.
Reinforced steel bars or rebar, is exposed on two one of the concrete pylons that support the two-lane bridge. There are cracks along other portions of the concrete.
The bridge remains open, and hundreds of thousands of cars continue to pass underneath the bridge when traveling the east coast, from Maine to Florida.
“This bridge is safe for travel. VDOT would not hesitate to make emergency repairs or close a bridge if there was any concern for motorist safety,” said Virginia Department of Transportation spokeswoman Kelly Hannon. “Visible rebar is a sign that concrete patching is required. There is no plan to change the bridge’s weight posting, which sets the maximum weight for vehicles crossing the bridge. Right now, vehicles meeting all legal load limits in Virginia are allowed to cross the bridge.”
The exposed rebar is a sign of deterioration, probably due to moisture, said Hannon. Moisture can cause the steel to rebar to rust and then expand, causing the concrete to deteriorate from the inside out.
The bridge was built in 1964, and exposed rebar is more common among these types of bridges, said Hannon.
The bridge, like most in Virginia, is inspected every two years. The exposed rebar was noted in the bridge’s last inspection report in November 2013.
The bridge is scheduled to be inspected again this year. In the meantime, VDOT says it’ll replace the damaged concrete.
“The rebar will be cleaned and repaired, if necessary. Concrete will be replaced at the location where it has deteriorated. We have an upcoming maintenance contract for bridges in VDOT’s 14-county Fredericksburg District to include routine repairs to bridges. A date has not been scheduled,” said Hannon.
Virginia has more than 20,000 bridges to inspect statewide.
