The Oregon Department of Transportation has released its , which highlights the conditions of the state’s bridges and the work under way to keep them safe and in service.

ODOT maintains 2,786 state-owned bridges; all are inspected at least every two years by certified inspectors, a press release states. Bridges with known issues are inspected more often. Between inspections, maintenance crews regularly monitor conditions and address issues before they become bigger problems.

Many recent changes in condition ratings are tied to updated federal inspection standards. Because of the two-year inspection cycle and new standards being phased in, ratings will continue to be influenced through 2027, according to ODOT.

National Bridge Inventory standards are used to rate bridge conditions. Ratings derive from conditions of key components like the deck, superstructure and substructure. Approximately 84 percent of bridges managed by ODOT are in fair condition, the press release states.

This year’s report spotlighted the Astoria-Megler Bridge in Astoria. A growing concern is the 6,000-plus breeding pairs of cormorants that nest on the bridge. Their waste interferes with the ability to inspect the bridge for cracks in the steel and deteriorates the paint that protects the steel from corrosion.

An assessment is under way to determine the bridge’s vulnerability to vessel collision. If the results show that the risk is above an acceptable level, ODOT will determine short-term and long-term strategies to reduce the probability of a potential bridge collapse from a vessel collision, the report states.

Meanwhile, the design effort for replacement of the bridge’s deteriorated roadway surface on the Oregon approach will continue; construction is anticipated in 2027.

With adequate funding, approximately 27 state highway bridges could be replaced annually, which is consistent with a 100-year service life, according to the report.

This year, six bridges were replaced: Oregon Route 82 over Bear Creek in Wallowa County, O.R. 99 over Birdseye Creek in Jackson County, O.R. 99 over Miller’s Gulch in Jackson County, O.R. 206 over Rock Creek in Gilliam County, Interstate 5 over Southwest 26th Avenue in Portland, and U.S. Route 26 over Little Humbug Creek in Clatsop County.

The post Oregon bridges’ conditions revealed in new report appeared first on Daily Journal of Commerce.