The Francis Scott Key Bridge was in “Fair” Condition. How Many Local Bridges are in “Poor” Condition?
by Hank Silverberg
CORRESPONDENT
The dramatic collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore last month has raised concern across the country about the condition of the nation’s bridges.
That particular bridge was listed in “fair” condition, yet it fell into the Patapsco River quickly when hit by a cargo ship. What about the hundreds of thousands of bridges across the county that are in poor condition and more likely to buckle from a collision or simply from heavy truck traffic?
The Virginia Department of Transportation, which inspects and tracks more than 21,000 bridges in the state, says about 3% of them are considered to be in poor condition, down from 8% in 2010.
Virginia has some of the oldest bridges in the country—many of them more than 70 years old—but according to VDOT, the state has among the lowest percentages of bridges listed in poor condition. Nationwide, 42,400 bridges, which handle 167 million vehicles a day, fit that category.
A rating of “poor” does not mean these bridges are unsafe, but it does mean there are elements that need to be monitored and or repaired—particularly, those that are regularly traveled by heavy trucks.
In VDOT’s Central Virginia region, which includes the City of Fredericksburg, and Caroline, King George, Stafford, and Spotsylvania Counties, 11 of the 535 bridges are in poor condition. Nine of them already have funded repair projects scheduled to begin in the next few years.
Among those rated “poor” is one is the most-traveled roads in the region, the U.S. 1 bridge across the Rappahannock River connecting Fredericksburg and Stafford County. That bridge, slated for an $86.2 million rehab to start in October of 2027, carries an average 37,586 vehicles a day.
A companion bridge on U.S. 1 in Fredericksburg, which crosses the Old Rappahannock Canal and carries an average of 27,400 vehicles a day, is also listed in poor condition. A $17.8 million replacement project for that bridge is also set to begin in October of 2027.
Also among the region’s bridges in poor condition is the Route 640 (Smoots Road) bridge over Maracossic Creek in Caroline County.
VDOT maintains this bridge and road, but the road is closed to through traffic at Maracossic Creek because of the failure of an earthen dam adjacent to the bridge on Fort Walker property. There are no plans for a fix to this bridge until the private owner fixes the dam. The open section of the road carries only about 98 vehicles a day.
Statewide, there are currently 645 bridges rated in poor condition. About 260 of them are included in a six-year improvement program that will replace or repair the structures by 2030.
In addition to those described above, the following bridges and structures in the Fredericksburg area are listed in poor condition by VDOT:
Spotsylvania County
- U.S. 3 westbound over Lick Run, which carries 15,166 vehicles a day. A $4.1 million dollar replacement project is scheduled to begin next month.
- U.S. 3 bridge over Nine Mile Run, which also carries 15,166 cars, and remains unfunded with no scheduled replacement. It will cost an estimated $5 million to fix.
Stafford County
- U.S. 1 over Chopawamsic Creek, which carries an average 20,178 vehicles a day. Construction is scheduled to start this coming September at a cost of $10.4 million dollars.
- Route 644 (Rockhill Church Road) over Aquia, where a temporary bridge now carries 2,457 vehicles per day. A $6.4 million replacement is set to begin in January of 2026.
Caroline County
- Route 207 northbound over the Mattaponi River, which carries an average of 5,501 vehicles per day. A $11.7 million replacement is set to begin in November of 2028.
- Route 603 (County Line Church Road) over Temples Mill is scheduled for a $6 million dollar replacement in July of 2028. The bridge carries about 809 vehicles a day.
- Route 632 (Edgehill Academy Road) over the Matta River, which carries an average of 190 vehicles per day, is scheduled starting in July, at a cost of $3.5 million. It should be completed by 2025.
- Route 638 (South River Road) is scheduled for a $3.7 million overhaul starting this month. It carries an average of 168 vehicles per day.
At present, none of the 44 state-maintained bridges in King George County are listed in poor condition.
