A regular inspection of the 17th Street bridge, carried out 18 months before a large chunk of fencing fell off the structure onto the highway below, gave the bridge high marks.
With a rating of 94.72 out of 100, the bridge earned approval from its federally certified inspector.
That kind of rating is a "solid A," according to Doug Hecox, spokesman for the Federal Highway Administration.
On Aug. 13, 170 feet of fencing peeled off the bridge, landing on the Downtown Connector below, narrowly missing the late-night traffic.
The inspection report, from Feb. 15, 2010, doesn't specifically mention the bridge's fencing and canopy, which were created principally to keep pedestrians from throwing objects onto the highway.
An inspector gave good marks to the superstructure, of which the fencing is a component. "The superstructure is in good condition" the report reads. David Spear, spokesman for the Georgia Department of Transportation, said the upcoming forensic reports on the failure of the fencing will eventually offer more information.
As to whether the earlier inspection should have picked up problems with the fencing, Spears said he would reserve commenting until the new information is available.
Completed in early 2005, the bridge was built to carry traffic from Midtown Atlanta to the new Atlantic Station development.
Hecox said there are 600,000 bridges in the federal highway system, and each is inspected at least once every two years. "Bridges are inspected frequently and rigorously and when problems are identified they are addressed."
About the Author
