Big Branch Road
Carrying Big Branch Road over DISMAL CREEK
4.25 fr 629; 0.05 to 638, Buchanan, Virginia
Data updated May 2026
FHWA NBI record, refreshed with each annual release.
Bridge Snapshot: Big Branch Road
The Big Branch Road bridge in Buchanan, Virginia carries Big Branch Road over DISMAL CREEK. It was built in 1973, making it 53 years old today. The structure is built primarily of concrete and spans 3 sections, stretching 26.2 meters (86 feet) end to end. Daily traffic averages 211 vehicles, placing it in the lower-traffic tier of Virginia bridges. It is owned and maintained by State Highway Agency.
The latest FHWA inspection records show a deck rating of 0/9, superstructure at 0/9, substructure at 0/9. The weakest component sits in critical condition. At least one major component here scores 4 or below, which produces a Poor condition classification under FHWA's current reporting rules.
Sourced from the FHWA National Bridge Inventory. See our methodology for refresh cadence and NBI release vintage.
How Big Branch Road compares
Live comparison across Virginia.
Historical Sufficiency Rating
PlainBridge-computedFHWA discontinued this calculated item; it does not determine current condition, funding eligibility, posting, or closure. How the historical reference is calculated.
Condition Ratings
Full 0–9 scale + sufficiency-rating breakdown: how condition ratings work.
Structural Details
- Year Built
- 1973
- Material
- Concrete
- Number of Spans
- 3
- Structure Length
- 26.2 m (86 ft)
- Deck Width
- 4.4 m (14 ft)
- Owner
- State Highway Agency
- Avg Daily Traffic
- 211 vehicles/day
- Structure Number
- 000000000003990
Location
Data Source
FHWA National Bridge Inventory (NBI).
FHWA NBI Program ↗Condition Analysis
- • The deck (driving surface) is in critical condition (0/9), with severe deterioration requiring urgent attention.
- • The superstructure (beams and supports above the deck) rates critical at 0/9, severe deterioration that needs urgent attention.
- • The substructure (piers and abutments) rates critical at 0/9, severe deterioration that needs urgent attention.
How to read this record
Big Branch Road is in the federal Poor condition category. That is a component-based result, not a closure order.
- NBI condition ratings reflect the latest record in this annual dataset, not a live status. Current routine inspection intervals are risk-based.
- Understand what Poor condition does and does not mean before drawing conclusions. Poor condition explained
- Compare Big Branch Road against other structures in Buchanan and across Virginia. Virginia bridges
- Noticed visible damage or a safety concern? Report it to the agency that owns the bridge, or call 911 in an emergency. How to report a bridge
Condition codes come straight from the FHWA National Bridge Inventory and are not a real-time safety judgment. Only the owning agency, a state DOT, county, or other owner, can post, restrict, or close a bridge.
Frequently Asked Questions
What do the condition ratings mean for Big Branch Road?
Big Branch Road in Buchanan, Virginia has a deck rating of 0/9, superstructure rating of 0/9, and substructure rating of 0/9 on the FHWA's 0–9 scale.
How often is Big Branch Road inspected?
Big Branch Road's responsible agency sets its routine interval under FHWA's risk-based inspection rules; this page does not expose the scheduled interval. It carries about 211 vehicles per day.
What does “structurally deficient” mean in older bridge reports?
FHWA retired that reported status beginning with the 2018 archive. Big Branch Road is currently shown as Poor condition from its component ratings; that category is not a live closure or safety decision.
What is the inventory load rating for Big Branch Road?
An inventory load rating is not recorded for Big Branch Road.
Who is responsible for maintaining Big Branch Road?
Big Branch Road is owned and maintained by State Highway Agency.
How old is Big Branch Road and does age affect safety?
Big Branch Road was built in 1973, making it 53 years old.
Disclaimer: Bridge condition data is from the FHWA NBI and reflects the last reported inspection. A Poor condition rating is not a live declaration that a bridge is closed or unsafe for travel. For current closure, posting, or safety information, contact the responsible transportation agency.
Every figure on PlainBridge is rendered directly from federal source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on federal source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.