US016AE

US016AE carries traffic over US016AW in Pennington County, South Dakota. Built in 1968, this structure is 58 years old, placing it among the older bridges still in active service. The bridge features wood or timber construction with a arch - deck design, a combination chosen by engineers to meet the specific requirements of this crossing.

Approximately 3,778 vehicles cross this bridge daily, indicating lower traffic volumes common for local roads and rural routes. While traffic is lighter, these bridges still serve essential community transportation needs. Commercial trucks account for 12% of all crossings. This proportion of commercial traffic is typical for this roadway classification and is factored into the bridge's design load ratings.

The bridge is currently rated in fair condition based on federal inspection criteria established by the Federal Highway Administration. The structure meets current safety standards for its designated use and load capacity. With a total length of 29 feet, this is a shorter span typical of local road crossings, often carrying traffic over small streams, drainage channels, or other roadways.

The construction materials used in this bridge were selected based on engineering requirements, cost considerations, and local conditions at the time of construction.

Federal law requires that all highway bridges be inspected at least every 24 months by qualified inspectors following the National Bridge Inspection Standards (NBIS). Some bridges with known issues or unusual characteristics may be inspected more frequently. Inspection data is reported to the National Bridge Inventory, a database maintained by the Federal Highway Administration that tracks the condition of all public highway bridges in the United States. This bridge data is sourced from that federal database and reflects the most recent available inspection results.