ABSTRACT
ABSTRACT: The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) “DC Metro” maintains a large network of bridge and aerial structures to support our 106 miles of system track. A variety of bridge structures must be maintained and inspected that support over 20 miles of elevated track. The Metro system recently celebrated its 30th anniversary of operation and is increasingly dealing with the effects of an aging infrastructure while also planning for major system expansions. In order to ensure the maximal safety of our nearly 800,000 daily users WMATA has a dedicated workforce of 16 inspectors to conduct annual inspections of our bridges and other structures. This inspection program is significantly different from the FHWA’s NBIS and is primarily focused on getting detailed findings and needs of every pier, abutment, span, wall, and other components of our structure inventory.
