Clark County Public Works manages, inspects and maintains 80 bridges that carry vehicular traffic on county roads and two pedestrian-only bridges. Federal and state standards require the county to inspect and document the condition of bridges at least once every two years. Bridges are inspected to ensure they are in good working order and to help prioritize maintenance and preservation work. 

Fifth Plain Creek Bridge demolition, August 2015.

Restrictions

Some bridges are load or height restricted. Signs at these bridges indicate the type and level of restriction. Click here for more information about restricted bridges on county roads. Note: this only includes county owned bridges and does not included bridges on state roads (interstates, highways) or streets in incorporated cities.

Bridge report and deficiencies

Washington Administrative Code 136-20-060 requires the county to produce a written report on its bridge inspection program.

• 2020 Annual Bridge Report (PDF)
• 2021 Annual Bridge Report (PDF)
• 2022 Annual Bridge Report (PDF)
• 2023 Annual Bridge Report (PDF)

Bridge engineers inspects bridges and categorizes them by condition. The condition scale is good, fair and poor.

• Good: A range from no problems to some minor deterioration of structural elements.
• Fair: All primary structural elements are sound but may have deficiencies such as minor section loss, deterioration, cracking, spalling or scour.
• Poor: Advanced deficiencies such as section loss, deterioration, cracking, spalling, scour, or seriously affected primary structural components. Bridges rated in poor condition may be posted with truck weight restrictions. Poor is the Federal Highway Administration's new rating term for bridges previously described as "structurally deficient."

While structural deficiencies are generally the result of deterioration of bridge components, functional obsolescence typically results from older bridge configurations that are subject to increased traffic demands and are substandard structures as defined by the current bridge design codes.

Clark County has 13 bridges classified as functionally obsolete.

Bridge projects

The bridge program also includes projects to:

• Seismically retrofit bridges so they will be better able to withstand earthquakes.
• Repair scour damage and reduce the potential for future scour.