Northern Wyoming News - Serving the Big Horn Basin for over 100 years

WORLAND - Wyoming Department of Transportation bridge inspectors will be conducting an inspection of the Culbertson bridge in Worland on Wednesday afternoon, Feb. 28, and Thursday morning, March 1.

The bridge over the Big Horn River is scheduled for closure from noon to 4 p.m. on Feb. 28 and 7:30 a.m. to noon on March 1, according to Clint Huckfeldt, Wyoming Department of Transportation area maintenance supervisor in Thermopolis, Worland and Ten Sleep.

During the closure, traffic will be routed across the U.S. 20/Wyoming 789 bridge located just north of the Culbertson structure on the south edge of Worland.

The steel-truss style Culbertson bridge is inspected every two years by WYDOT bridge inspectors.

WYDOT owns and maintains 1,938 structures in the state, including the Culbertson bridge in Worland.

Each of these structures, as well as the 847 bridges owned and maintained by the towns, cities, counties, and other state agencies, are carefully inspected at least once every two years by teams of highly trained WYDOT bridge inspectors.

There are exceptions to the two-year frequency. Bridges requiring posted load restrictions are inspected annually. Additionally, bridges having certain levels or types of deterioration or with specific details that may affect the safe usage of the structure receive special inspections designed to closely monitor their unique condition.

Bridges require periodic maintenance to remain safe and serviceable, and WYDOT inspections help to identify those elements needing repair or replacement. When a condition is found that may affect the ability of the structure to carry the anticipated loads, a rating is completed and traffic crossing the structure may be limited until the condition can be corrected or the bridge is replaced.

The inspection results are submitted to the Federal Highway Administration annually.