SHA explains process of bridge inspection

The State Highway Administration is responsible for maintaining almost 2,600 bridges of the 5,256 in the state, but last month resort residents and commuters were really only concerned with three of them, since they directly affected travel times.

For most of the month, the bridges over the St. Martin River and Assawoman Bay were choked down to a single lane from early morning to mid-afternoon. Also, on one particular day, Wednesday Oct. 19, the SHA was working on the Route 50 drawbridge, requiring extra openings during the day and leaving only Coastal Highway and Route 54 as ingress/egress points untouched by work crews.

“SHA bridge inspectors conduct biennial inspections on bridges, ramps, and overpasses constructed and maintained by SHA,” Charlie Gischlar, public information officer for the SHA said. “Underwater inspections are conducted every four years. SHA performs hands-on inspections of all bridge components. This exceeds the Federal Highway Administration’s requirements.

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