OKLAHOMA CITY – Although the maximum load limit is only five tons on the historic “auto bridge” in Medicine Park, the structure remains sound, Oklahoma Department of Transportation engineers have told The Ledger.
The bridge, which spans Medicine Creek, was built more than a century ago in 1906, Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT) records show. That’s one year before Oklahoma became a state and eight years before World War I broke out.
On average, 200 vehicles cross the bridge every day, ODOT traffic counts indicate. A wide variety of vehicles use the bridge.
The department’s Bridge Division performs a full inspection of the Medicine Creek bridge every two years to assess its worthiness. It was last inspected in the fall of 2019, records reflect.
But “for this bridge, in particular, a team of inspectors goes out annually to review the inspection highlights,” said Madison Schein of ODOT’s Media and Public Relations Division.
Because of the latest inspection, the maximum acceptable load limit on the bridge remains posted at five tons or 10,000 pounds.
“This bridge isn’t to the point of concern that the weight needs to be lowered,” Schein said.
The Ford Model T weighed 1,200 pounds when first manufactured in 1908 and had put on another 343 pounds by the time production ceased in 1927. Its successor, the Model A, which was produced between 1927 and 1931, weighed 2,375 pounds, a little over one ton.
Most of today’s vehicles weigh more.
According to Car & Driver, a tiny “Smart Car” weighs 2,050 pounds and a Volkswagen Beetle weighs 3,045 pounds.
The weight of a subcompact car (such as the Kia Rio, Hyundai Accent and Honda Fit) ranges from 2,433 to 2,576 pounds.
Compact cars (Toyota Corolla, Honda Civic, Nissan Sentra, Hyundai Elantra and VW Jetta) typically weigh 2,828 to 3,010 pounds.
A mid-size car (such as the Toyota Camry, Honda Accord, Nissan Altima and Hyundai Sonata) weighs 3,212 to 3,509 pounds. A 2018 Chevy Malibu weighs 3,126 to 3,456 pounds.
A large car such as the Dodge Charger, Nissan Maxima, and Toyota Avalon – weighs in the range of 3,738 to 4,027 pounds.
A 1969 Ford Mustang weighed 2,690 to 3,210 pounds. Fifty years later, the 2019 Mustang weighs 3,532 to 3,825 pounds.
A 2010 model Ford Ranger pickup weighed 3,028 to 3,606 pounds, while a 2019 model weighs 3,922 to 4,441 pounds.
Half-ton trucks (such as the Ford F150, Chevy Silverado, Dodge Ram 1500, GMC Sierra and Toyota Tundra) tip the scales at 4,496 to 5,406 pounds. A Toyota Tacoma 4x4 weighs 4,505 pounds, and a 2020 Chevy Colorado pickup ranges in weight from 3,936 to 5,011 pounds.
A compact SUV (Toyo- ta RAV4 or Subaru Forester) weighs 3,451 to 3,728 pounds.
A typical mid-size SUV (such as a Jeep Grand Cherokee, a Toyota Highlander or a Toyota 4Runner) weighs 4,135 to 4,673 pounds.
A large SUV (such as a Chevy Tahoe, GM Yukon, Ford Expedition or Nissan Armada) weighs in a 5,468 to 5,738 pounds.
A fully loaded Coca-Cola delivery truck weighs 6,296 pounds.
The weight of a loaded UPS truck will depend on the model. The average loaded weight of a newer model UPS truck is 19,500 pounds.
The weight of a semi-truck or tractor can vary from 10,000 to 25,000 pounds, and in general the weight of an empty 53-foot trailer is approximately 14,000 to 16,000 pounds.
The average weight of a fully loaded propane delivery truck is 31,000 to 35,000 pounds.
A concrete delivery truck weighs between 20,000 and 30,000 pounds empty, and up to 70,000 pounds when fully loaded.