ODOT Inspects Highway Bridge

A bridge on one of Tulsa's busiest highways was inspected Thursday to make sure it's safe. The state has picked up the pace on inspections in light of the Minneapolis bridge collapse. First they

Thursday, August 9th 2007, 5:00 pm

By: News On 6

A bridge on one of Tulsa's busiest highways was inspected Thursday to make sure it's safe. The state has picked up the pace on inspections in light of the Minneapolis bridge collapse. First they went to the bridges built like that one, and now they're double checking all of the bridges that carry a lot of traffic. The News On 6â€™s Emory Bryan reports what was found during Thursdayâ€™s inspection.

The job of inspecting highway bridges would be tedious even if it wasn't high off the ground. But bridges like the one near 15th and Lewis, which is over a railroad track, are so high they can only be inspected with a truck that sits on top of the bridge, with an arm that reaches underneath.

ODOT inspectors are checking all of the state's bridges built in such a way that every I-beam is considered "fracture critical," that means if even one fails, part of the bridge deck could fall.

The inspectors work with only a few tools to tap the concrete and metal and make sure it's solid. Even though the bridge near 15th and Lewis has some rust around the edges, some paint bubbling off of the beams, and some concrete that has broken off, it is, according to the state, structurally in very good condition.

The bridge is part of the normal cycle that ODOT uses to determine where to spend maintenance dollars. There isn't enough money to fix everything, so only the most urgent needs are addressed.

"It's all cosmetic. We painted this bridge not too long ago," ODOT bridge inspector Ali Salami said.

The team of inspectors know every inch of the bridge and they record what they find so they can track any problems. The 15th and Lewis bridge, which makes the inbound curve on the Broken Arrow Expressway, was built in 1968. Though it needed resurfacing, ODOT believes it's got plenty of life left and it's good enough to be inspected just once a year.

"We do it every year when it's fracture critical," said Salami.

There are several bridges in Oklahoma that have the same design as the one in Minneapolis. Up in Ottawa County, there is a bridge over the Spring River with that design, it's already been inspected by the state and determined to be fine.

Watch the video: Area Bridge Inspected

Related Stories:

8/2/2007 - State Officials Say Oklahoma Bridges Are Safe

8/2/2007 - Bridge Failure Recalls Oklahoma I-40 Collapse

8/3/2007 - Structurally Deficient Bridges

8/3/2007 Oklahoma Bridges Get Poor Rating