Common Terms

Structurally Deficient

A bridge designated “structurally deficient” does not mean that the bridge is unsafe; it simply means that either the deck, the superstructure, or the substructure has a condition that warrants attention. This can be as simple as a concrete bridge deck needing work and requiring a bridge deck overlay.

Functionally Obsolete

A bridge designated “functionally obsolete” means that some part of the bridge does not meet a design standard such as vertical clearance, deck width, etc. It has nothing to do with the structural integrity of the bridge.

State Bridges

While 28 of the 1,714 bridges (1.6%) on the State Highway System are presently designated as structurally deficient, seven of the bridges are currently under contract and 15 are scheduled for rehabilitation or replacement in the next four years. These completed projects will reduce the number of state bridges listed as structurally deficient to 10. The remaining bridges are being evaluated.

Urban Bridges

Three of 102 bridges (2.9%) on the Urban Highway system are designated as Structurally Deficient.

County Bridges

621 of 3,160 bridges (19.6%) on the County Highway System are designated as Structurally Deficient.

Additional information

To provide increased access to bridge information, the North Dakota Department of Transportation has developed an overview of bridges located across the state that are rated structurally deficient or functionally obsolete. The bridge information is constantly changing as bridges throughout the state are worked on during the current construction season, and are inspected, repaired or replaced. The information is listed by county and is up-to-date as of June 2008.