Approximately 120,840 crossings are recorded daily on the structurally deficient southbound bridge at I-45 and Sawdust Road, according to a 2016 study conducted by the American Road & Transportation Builders Association.

In the study, the 26-year-old bridge was named the most traveled structurally deficient—or significantly defective—bridge in Texas.

At this time, Texas Department of Transportation officials have no plans to address fixing the bridge, TxDOT Public Information Officer Deidrea George said.

“There are no immediate plans to repair this bridge,” George said. “This bridge is safe for public vehicular traffic.”

Although the bridge crosses two busy thoroughfares—Rayford Road to the east and Sawdust Road to the west—only the southbound side of the I-45 bridge is deficient, according to ARTBA officials.

Deficient bridges can hold one of two statuses: functionally obsolete or structurally deficient. Having a functionally obsolete status means a bridge does not meet design standards. A structurally deficient status indicates one or more of the key bridge elements, such as the roadway or its support structures are in poor condition, George said.

The most damaged part of the southbound I-45 bridge at Sawdust Road is the roadway, also known as the deck, which was found to be in serious condition with a rating of three on a scale from one to nine, according to ARTBA’s study.

“Structurally deficient means the condition of the bridge includes a significant defect, which often means that speed or weight limits must be put on the bridge,” George said.

A structurally deficient bridge can still be safe for cars to drive over based on its operational status, George said. In ARTBA’s 2016 study, the southbound I-45 bridge over Sawdust Road was deemed safe for traffic. However, the bridge had a 68 percent sufficiency rating, which indicates if a bridge is sufficient enough to remain in service. The northbound side of the bridge, which crosses over Rayford Road, had a sufficiency rating of 84 percent. Any bridges with a rating below 80 percent are considered deficient, according to the study.

Of the 53,488 bridges in Texas, 900 are considered structurally deficient, according to the ARTBA study.

Should TxDOT decide to take steps to repair the bridge, some long-term solutions would be discussed, George said.

“As with any construction project, there would be a traffic control plan in place which would determine the best way to complete work with minimal impact to the traveling public,” she said.