Scariest Bridge Decks

[peterj920]

I came across this bridge deck along Featherstone St in Pontiac, MI near the Silverdome, which continues to fall apart.  This is the worst bridge deck I've seen.

https://www.google.com/maps/@42.6489093,-83.2597238,3a,75y,53.52h,62.71t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s6gu_rVJJPqQc-okgBKsVpQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656?hl=en

Anyone else have any pictures of decks that are in really bad shape?

[Jardine]

It's structurally sound, but the steel grating deck on the Decatur NE Missouri River bridge inspires anxiety.

[Pete from Boston]

No deck alone has scared me as much as that of the old Housatonic River bridge on the Merritt Parkway did.  Pitched steeply high over the water, very narrow, slippery steel grid deck, and unrelenting traffic pressure to maintain a speed of over 70 mph.  Cars would skitter side to side in good weather; in the rain or wind or worse you felt like a hockey puck trying to maintain a straight path of travel at high speed.  The wind was particularly fun in this regard in that it came up at you through the deck itself.  I don't know anyone who was particularly sad to see that bridge go.

[cl94]

Would you expect anything different from Erie County, NY?. It's gotten worse since GSV was last through. Entire thing is potholes. Not far from there, this bridge is submerged every time it rains. It was resurfaced shortly after the picture was taken, but it's this bad again. From the eastern part of the state, there's the infamous US 4 bridge across the Hudson River south of Fort Edward. Too narrow for any lane markings, slick even in dry weather, and the trucks often take it at 55+.

[Buffaboy]

Would you expect anything different from Erie County, NY?

I guess I'm so used to the crappy bridges, I don't know what a structurally sound bridge looks like.

Another fear-inducing bridge would be the Unity Island bridge seen here: https://www.google.com/maps/@42.9317917,-78.9004398,68a,20y,270h,41.73t/data=!3m1!1e3?hl=en

[cl94]

Deck has since been replaced. There was a while before they put the current deck on where the river was occasionally visible through holes in the deck.

[CtrlAltDel]

It's structurally sound, but the steel grating deck on the Decatur NE Missouri River bridge inspires anxiety.

I was thinking about something along these lines too: the I-290* bridge over the Chicago River is grated, too. I find it pretty scary.

^{* Not entirely accurate, but you know what I mean.}

[SteveG1988]

How about the 1884 calhoun street bridge, narrow lanes, open grate through truss, pin connected, 3 ton weight limit.

[jbnati27]

I came across this bridge deck along Featherstone St in Pontiac, MI near the Silverdome, which continues to fall apart.  This is the worst bridge deck I've seen.

https://www.google.com/maps/@42.6489093,-83.2597238,3a,75y,53.52h,62.71t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s6gu_rVJJPqQc-okgBKsVpQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656?hl=en

Anyone else have any pictures of decks that are in really bad shape?

That looks terrifying!

[jbnati27]

This one's pretty scary: http://www.wral.com/weather/story/11476046/

It's a temporary bridge, but it's still there as of this summer. 

[leroys73]

I came across this bridge deck along Featherstone St in Pontiac, MI near the Silverdome, which continues to fall apart.  This is the worst bridge deck I've seen.

https://www.google.com/maps/@42.6489093,-83.2597238,3a,75y,53.52h,62.71t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s6gu_rVJJPqQc-okgBKsVpQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656?hl=en

Anyone else have any pictures of decks that are in really bad shape?

Scary, hell, it would tend to ruin good tires.  I hate to attempt in on a motorcycle.  I'd rather ride on dirt road.

[SteveG1988]

The former lane configuration of most of the PA-NJ bridges in Philly. No fixed lanes, nothing to divide it. Would that count for scary, 8 lanes of traffic without a barrier?

[jeffandnicole]

The former lane configuration of most of the PA-NJ bridges in Philly. No fixed lanes, nothing to divide it. Would that count for scary, 8 lanes of traffic without a barrier?

When you think of it in terms of a highway it seems a little scary, but in reality it's no more dangerous than any other roadway where you are separated from opposing traffic with just a yellow line down the middle.

[SteveG1988]

[cappicard]

How about the Fairfax Bridge (southbound US 69/7th Street Trafficway into KCK) a few years ago? The bridge was demolished earlier this year.  It and its sister bridge, the Platte Purchase Bridge (northbound US-69/7th Street Trafficway) are being replaced by a single bridge by MoDOT.

https://goo.gl/maps/fjyTjiJmJyG2

[BamaZeus]

No deck alone has scared me as much as that of the old Housatonic River bridge on the Merritt Parkway did.  Pitched steeply high over the water, very narrow, slippery steel grid deck, and unrelenting traffic pressure to maintain a speed of over 70 mph.  Cars would skitter side to side in good weather; in the rain or wind or worse you felt like a hockey puck trying to maintain a straight path of travel at high speed.  The wind was particularly fun in this regard in that it came up at you through the deck itself.  I don't know anyone who was particularly sad to see that bridge go.

I was thinking the exact same thing.  It was like a controlled 1/2 mile slide across an ice rink no matter what time of year.

[freebrickproductions]

I once road across a bridge that was in rather sad shape somewhere here in rural Alabama. I forget where it was though, since I was really young at the time.

[cl94]

Courtesy of NYSTA. Yes, there are potholes on that deck. This one in northern Erie County has been replaced, but a section of the road a bit further north has fallen into the creek and it's been one lane for several years.

[Buffaboy]

Courtesy of NYSTA. Yes, there are potholes on that deck. This one in northern Erie County has been replaced, but a section of the road a bit further north has fallen into the creek and it's been one lane for several years.

Why does that bridge go over a pond? Is it part of a floodplain?

Also, I had no idea Tonawanda Creek goes into Wyoming County (or crosses the Thruway) until now.

[GaryV]

I-75 Rouge River Bridge:  http://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/wayne-county/2015/10/01/pothole-closes-bridge-lanes-nb-sw-detroit/73175538/

[cl94]

Courtesy of NYSTA. Yes, there are potholes on that deck. This one in northern Erie County has been replaced, but a section of the road a bit further north has fallen into the creek and it's been one lane for several years.

Why does that bridge go over a pond? Is it part of a floodplain?

Also, I had no idea Tonawanda Creek goes into Wyoming County (or crosses the Thruway) until now.

Cattaraugus Creek. This is the stretch that was lowered to 55, likely due to poor pavement conditions.

Tonawanda Creek and Cattaraugus Creek have their headwaters a couple thousand feet NE of the east end of the NY 78/98 concurrency in Java Lake. I would have posted a picture of the old US 20 pony truss over Tonawanda Creek, but the deck was fine. Just a few holes in the beams...

[Buffaboy]

Courtesy of NYSTA. Yes, there are potholes on that deck. This one in northern Erie County has been replaced, but a section of the road a bit further north has fallen into the creek and it's been one lane for several years.

Why does that bridge go over a pond? Is it part of a floodplain?

Also, I had no idea Tonawanda Creek goes into Wyoming County (or crosses the Thruway) until now.

Cattaraugus Creek. This is the stretch that was lowered to 55, likely due to poor pavement conditions.

Tonawanda Creek and Cattaraugus Creek have their headwaters a couple thousand feet NE of the east end of the NY 78/98 concurrency in Java Lake. I would have posted a picture of the old US 20 pony truss over Tonawanda Creek, but the deck was fine. Just a few holes in the beams...

Well no, I knew the other one was Cattaraugus Creek, I was talking about the one in Northern Erie County  .

And I don't understand why it's so hard for EC to maintain the county line roads despite the fact that they are on creeks.

[JREwing78]

Not sure if it's "scariest", but you don't want chunks of concrete falling onto a city street anytime:
http://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/detroit/2015/11/05/ambassador-bridge-repairs-close-another-windsor-street/75211314/

[cappicard]

Not sure if it's "scariest", but you don't want chunks of concrete falling onto a city street anytime:
http://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/detroit/2015/11/05/ambassador-bridge-repairs-close-another-windsor-street/75211314/

The I-35 bridge over Pennway Street in KCMO was shut down a few years ago for the same problem. A chunk of concrete fell from the bridge onto a lady's windshield.

http://fox4kc.com/2013/06/14/concrete-falls-onto-car-from-i-35-bridge-construction/

[abc2VE]

Courtesy of NYSTA. ...but a section of the road a bit further north has fallen into the creek and it's been one lane for several years.

Neat...
https://www.google.com/maps/@43.0881011,-78.5649671,3a,75y,268.5h,80.88t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sFxzoW0VREk3fkEs8JE7SLA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656